Various magmatisms during the subduction-collision process are crucial to reveal the long-term tectonic evolution of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. In this paper, we present major and trace elements of whole-rock, zircon U-Pb dating and Hf isotope of the Shanmen pluton. Results imply that the Shanmen pluton consists of quartz diorite and mylonitic granite, with zircon U-Pb ages of 263.7–259.6 Ma. The studied quartz diorite contains high Sr/Y (51.19–90.87) and (La/Yb)N (7.82–13.62) ratios, and belongs to adakitic rocks. Coupled with the positive εHf(t) values of +5.71 to +12.8 with no obvious Eu anomaly, we propose that quartz diorite is the product of the interaction between different degrees of slab melt and the overlying mantle wedge. In contrast, the mylonitic granite has lower MgO (0.28 wt% – 0.47 wt%) contents and positive εHf(t) values of +7.79 to +10.15, indicating an affinity with I-type granite originated by partial melting of the intermediate-basic lower crust. The geochemical characteristics and lithological assemblages, along with the Permian magmatic rocks in the Changchun-Kaiyuan area displaying arc rocks affinity, propose their formation is related to the southward subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO). Based on this study and previous evidence, we lean towards adopting a middle-late Permian slab break-off model, wherein the PAO did not close until the late Permian.

Daqingshan is located in the northwestern North China Craton where late Neoarchaean supracrustal rocks occur widely, but where magmatic zircon ages have rarely been reported for plutonic rocks. In this study, we report SIMS U–Pb zircon ages and Hf isotope, whole-rock element and Nd isotope compositions for 12 magmatic samples, including TTG, quartz monzonitic and monzogranitic gneisses, and meta-gabbroic and dioritic rocks. They have magmatic zircon ages of 2530–2469 Ma; some samples have ages of <2.48 Ga likely influenced by late Palaeoproterozoic tectonothermal events, making their ages less reliable. TTG gneisses have low Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios, with whole-rock ϵNd(t) and in situ magmatic zircon ϵHf(t) values of +1.2 to +2.4 and −1.1 to +6.2, respectively. Quartz monzonite and monzogranite gneisses and gabbroic to dioritic rocks have similar Nd–Hf isotope compositions to the TTG gneisses. The absence of zircon >2.6 Ga in the early Precambrian rocks suggests that the Sanggan Group may have formed in an oceanic environment, whereas the TTG rocks formed as a result of partial melting of the basaltic rocks of the Sanggan Group under relatively low-pressure conditions. Combined with previous studies, the main conclusions are that in the Daqingshan area, late Neoarchaean magmatism was widespread, the late Mesoarchaean – early Neoarchaean was an important period of juvenile continental crustal growth, and the late Neoarchaean supracrustal and plutonic rocks most likely formed in an arc environment. These are common signatures for Neoarchaean crustal evolution throughout much of the North China Craton, and also globally.

A simple composition of TeO2–Yb2O3 binary glass was selected as the host glass matrix for discussing the structure of tellurite glass with increasing Yb2O3 content. Raman spectra were measured to investigate the structure of the binary tellurite glasses, and upconversion and downconversion fluorescence characteristics were employed for discussing the relationship between the structural units and the state of Yb3+ in the tellurite glasses. The results suggested that the decrease of TeO4/2 in the glasses would result in the formation of Yb3+ clusters and Yb3+–O2− couple in the tellurite glasses, and then results in the decrease of cooperative upconversion and downconversion fluorescence intensity.

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), such as WS2 and MoS2, have opened up new opportunities for the next generation of optoelectronics owing to their unique properties such as optical transparency, high carrier mobility, widely tunable band gap, and strong light–matter interaction. The photodetection performance relies primarily on the light absorption efficiency and separation efficiency of photoexcited electron–holes. The photodetectors with all broadband response, high photoconductive gain, high response speed, and high detectivity is arduous challenge to realize using one photo-active material. Building of photodetectors composed of two or more light absorber materials of different band gaps was an efficient route to realize high performance light detection. The application of a thin sensitizing layer atop the TMDCs has proven to be a viable route to improve the photodetection performance due to the efficient charge separation at the interface, and fast charge transfer process due to the high carrier mobility. In this article, we review the progress made toward hybrid photodetector based on TMDCs with various sensitizers from metal to large band-gap semiconductor in architectures from zero-dimensional quantum dot to two-dimensional crystal.

The large prehistoric city of Liangzhu and its associated earthen dike emerged on the Yangtze delta-coast after two millennia of occupation in this area by scattered communities. Details of its development have been widely discussed in the literature. Our results reveal that the city was selectively built at the head of an embayment backed by hills, with close access to food, freshwater and timber, and with protection from coastal hazards. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating shows that it was built around 4.8–4.5 ka, and the earthen dike was constructed a little later at ~ 4.1 ka. During this time, saltwater wetlands were changing to freshwater in response to rapid coastal progradation as the postglacial sea-level rise stabilized. This facilitated rice farming and furthered the development of the city with elaborate city planning. The younger large-scale earthen dike and artificial ponds possibly suggest increasing demand for flood mitigation and irrigation.

In this paper we study the existence of solutions for a free boundary problem arising in the study of the equilibrium of a plasma confined in a tokamak:

where p > 2, Ω is a bounded domain in ℝ2, n is the outward unit normal of ∂Ω, α is an unprescribed constant and I is a given positive constant. The set Ω+ = {x ∊ Ω: u(x) > 0} is called a plasma set. Under the condition that the homology of Ω is non-trivial, we show that for any given integer k ≥ 1 there exists λk > 0 such that for λ > λk the problem above has a solution with a plasma set consisting of k components.

We report here investigations on the superstructure modulation induced by the ordering of carbon vacancies in the nonstoichiometric zirconium carbide of ZrC0.61, which was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) of the mechanochemically synthesized ZrCx nanopowders. The sintered ZrC0.61 is found to exhibit an interesting microstructure of interlaced laminated sheets. In contrast to the previous long duration post annealing for realization of the ordered carbon vacancies in the rocksalt-structured transition metal carbide, the ordered carbon vacancies are directly obtained during the SPS process, and no post-annealing period is necessary. With the help of transmission electron microscopy, the superstructural nanodomains with the average size of ∼30 nm are identified.

We continue to study the nonlinear fourth-order problem TΔu – DΔ2u = λ/(L + u)2, –L < u < 0 in Ω, u = 0, Δu = 0 on ∂Ω, where Ω ⊂ ℝN is a bounded smooth domain and λ > 0 is a parameter. When N = 2 and Ω is a convex domain, we know that there is λc > 0 such that for λ ∊ (0, λc) the problem possesses at least two regular solutions. We will see that the convexity assumption on Ω can be removed, i.e. the main results are still true for a general bounded smooth domain Ω. The main technique in the proofs of this paper is the blow-up argument, and the main difficulty is the analysis of touch-down behaviour.

Co/MnO2 particles are synthesized by a simple two-step chemical process. It includes the reduction of Co2+ cations to Co nanoparticles with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) in aqueous solution, followed by coating the sample with a surface layer of MnO2. The coating is accomplished using a simple decomposition reaction, in aqueous KMnO4 solution with acid environment at room temperature. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis demonstrates that the core of the particles is composed of Co clusters that have a narrow size distribution. The strong interface effect of the Co/MnO2 particles is also studied by the detection of exchange bias phenomena of hysteresis curves.