Experimental calibration and field investigation of the oxygen isotopic fractionation between biogenic aragonite and water

Marine molluscs have long been recognised as potential records of palaeoclimate change using the patterns and differences in the stable isotopic composition of the carbonate shells. The aim of this study is to improve the robustness of this approach for aragonitic molluscs by completing the first experimental calibration of the fractionation between water and biogenic aragonite. Fractionation factors were calibrated by growing specimens of the freshwater mollusc Lymnaea peregra under controlled conditions of water temperature and isotopic composition. Fifteen populations of L. peregra were maintained at constant temperature and isotopic conditions for five months (at five different temperatures and using three different water compositions). Water samples and temperature measurements were taken regularly throughout the experiment. The temperature dependence of the fractionation factor, between 8 and 24 degrees C, is given by: 1000 ln alpha=16.74x(1000T(-1))-26.39 (T in Kelvin) and the relationship between temperature (T), delta(18)O(carb) and delta(18)O(wat) is given by: T=21.36-4.83xdelta(+ degrees )O(carb)-delta(+ degrees )O(wat) (T is in degrees C, delta(18)O(carb) is with respect to Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) replacement standard for PDB, and delta(18)O(wat) is with respect to Vienna standard mean ocean water (VSMOW)) The outcome of the controlled experiment is compared with previous studies on synthetic, and biogenic, calcite and aragonite from field and laboratory investigations. These comparisons suggest that although a vital offset exists between the fractionation of isotopes in synthetic and biogenic aragonite for molluscs in general, there is no vital effect that is specific either to freshwater, or to individual, genera. Therefore, the calibrated relationship may be used for any freshwater or marine mollusc to derive palaeotemperatures providing the isotopic composition of the environmental water can be reliably constrained. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Darstellung und Reaktionen μ-distiban- und di-μ-antimonido-verbrückter Metallcarbonylkomplexe von Chrom,Molybdän und Wolfram

Synthesis and Reactions of μ-Distibane- and Di-μ-antimonido-bridged Metalcarbonyl Complexes of Chromium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten By irradiation of hexacarbonylmolybdenum in tetrahydrofuran solutions are produced, which react with tetramethyl-, -ethyl-, and -phenyldistibane to yield the complexes (CO)₅MoSbR₂SbR₂Mo(CO)₅, R = Me, Ph and (CO)₄Mo(SbR₂)₂Mo(CO)₄, R = Me, Et, Ph. (CO)₄W(SbPh₂)₂W(CO)₄ is a product of the thermal reaction of hexacarbonyltungsten and tetraphenyldistibane. Cleavage of (CO)₅CrSbMe₂SbMe₂Cr(CO)₅ with bromine yields (CO)₅CrSbMe₂Br.     

Random permutations of countable sets

Summary The main objective of this paper is a study of random decompositions of random point configurations onR ^d into finite clusters. This is achieved by constructing for each configurationZ a random permutation ofZ with finite cycles; these cycles then form the cluster decomposition ofZ. It is argued that a good candidate for a random permutation ofZ is a Gibbs measure for a certain specification, and conditions are given for the existence and uniqueness of such a Gibbs measure. These conditions are then verified for certain random configurationsZ.     

Crystal structure of the cyclotetraphosphate Ca2[P4O12] · 4 H2O

Ca₂[P₄O₁₂] · 4 H₂O crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n, a = 7.668, b = 12.895, c = 7.144 Å, β 107.00°, D_x = 2.28 g · cm^?3, Z = 2. In the structure there are ringlike anions, which are composed of 4 PO₄ tetrahedra connected by oxygen bridges. The Ca²⁺ are surrounded by 7 oxygen atoms. Each two cation polyhedra are connected by a common edge to pairs which are isolated from one another. The water molecules form hydrogen bridges with one another and with the anion rings.