Several studies have used the temperature dependence of gas solubilities in water to derive paleotemperatures from noble gases in groundwaters. We present a general method to infer environmental parameters from concentrations of dissolved atmospheric noble gases in water. Our approach incorporates statistical methods to quantify uncertainties of the deduced parameter values. The equilibration t...

Introduction: Itqiy is a unique coarse-grained, metal-rich enstatite meteorite that was recovered from Western Sahara in July 2000 [1,2]. The dominating mineral phase is a low Ca pyroxene that partly resembles EL chondritic enstatite. The other main constituent (about 25 vol%) is kamacite, which shows EH chondritic compositional characteristics. Additionally, a few tiny intergrowths of differen...

In the nascent solar system, primitive organic matter was a major contributor of volatile elements to planetary bodies, and could have played a key role in the development of the biosphere. However, the origin of primitive organics is poorly understood. Most scenarios advocate cold synthesis in the interstellar medium or in the outer solar system. Here, we report the synthesis of solid organics...

The significance of clathrate hydrates lies in their ability to encapsulate a vast range of inert gases. Although the natural abundance of a few noble gases (Kr and Xe) is poor their hydrates are generally abundant. It has already been reported that HF doping enhances the stability of hydrogen hydrates and methane hydrates, which prompted us to perform a model study on helium, neon and argon hy...

Fluorine-19 ((19)F) MRI of the lungs using inhaled inert fluorinated gases can potentially provide high quality images of the lungs that are similar in quality to those from hyperpolarized (HP) noble gas MRI. Inert fluorinated gases have the advantages of being nontoxic, abundant, and inexpensive compared with HP gases. Due to the high gyromagnetic ratio of (19)F, there is sufficient thermally ...

Noble gases dissolved in natural waters are useful tracers for quantifying physical processes. Here, we describe a field-deployable gas equilibration mass spectrometer (GEMS) that provides continuous, real-time measurements of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe mole ratios in natural waters. Gas is equilibrated with a membrane contactor cartridge and measured with a quadrupole mass spectrometer, after in-line ...

We report experimental results of proton– and electron–beam–induced near–infrared (NIR) fluorescence in high–pressure Xe gas at room temperature. The investigated wavelength band spans the range 0.7 ≤ λ ≤ 1.8μm. In the previously unexplored range for λ > 1.05μm we have detected a broad continuum NIR fluorescence at λ ≈ 1.3μm that shifts towards longer wavelengths as pressure is increased up to ...

Calculations based on a consideration of gas diffusion of gas dynamics in a sonoluminescing bubble filled with a noble gas and water vapor are carried out. Xenon-, argon-, and helium-filled bubbles are studied. In the absence of shock waves, bubble temperatures are found to be decreased, a decrease attributable to the large heat capacity of water vapor. Peak bubble temperature reductions are se...

Dissolved noble gas concentrations in groundwater can provide valuable information on recharge temperatures and enable 3H-3He age-dating with the use of physically based interpretive models. This study presents a large (905 samples) data set of dissolved noble gas concentrations from drinking water supply wells throughout California, representing a range of physiographic, climatic, and water ma...

Noble gases trapped in meteorites are tightly bound in a carbonaceous carrier labeled “phase Q.” Mechanisms having led to their retention in this phase or in its precursors are poorly understood. To test physical adsorption as a way of retaining noble gases into precursors of meteoritic materials, we have performed adsorption experiments for Ar, Kr, and Xe at low pressures (10 4 mbar to 500 mba...