Introduction: Antarctic MicroMeteorites (AMMs) represent the dominant source of extraterrestrial matter accreted by Earth today [1]. Some of them are ultracarbonaceous particles (UCAMMs) [2, 3, 4]. Furthermore, AMMs could have played a role in the origin of life on Earth [e.g. 5]. A better knowledge of their constituent carbonaceous matter could thus shed light on the formation of the organic m...

Laser-Raman imagery is a non-intrusive, non-destructive analytical technique, recently introduced to Precambrian paleobiology, that can be used to demonstrate a one-to-one spatial correlation between the optically discernible morphology and kerogenous composition of permineralized fossil microorganisms. Made possible by the submicron-scale resolution of the technique and its high sensitivity to...

An intensive investigation of carbonaceous PM2.5 and TSP (total suspended particles) from Pudong (China) was conducted as part of the MIRAGE-Shanghai (Megacities Impact on Regional and Global Environment) experiment in 2009. Data for organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), organic species, including C17 to C40 n-alkanes and 17 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and stable carbon isotope...

Chondrule compositions suggest either ferroan precursors and evaporation, or magnesian precursors and condensation. Type I chondrule precursors include granoblastic olivine aggregates (planetary or nebular) and fine-grained (dustball) precursors. In carbonaceous chondrites, type I chondrule precursors were S-free, while type II chondrules have higher Fe ⁄Mn than in ordinary chondrites. Many typ...

High loadings of anthropogenic carbonaceous aerosols in Chinese air influence the air quality for over one billion people and impact the regional climate. A large fraction (17–80 %) of this aerosol carbon is water-soluble, promoting cloud formation and thus climate cooling. Recent findings, however, suggest that water-soluble carbonaceous aerosols also absorb sunlight, bringing additional direc...

In this paper we study in detail the post-growth annealing of a copper-containing material deposited with focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID). The organometallic precursor Cu(II)(hfac)2 was used for deposition and the results were compared to that of compared to earlier experiments with (hfac)Cu(I)(VTMS) and (hfac)Cu(I)(DMB). Transmission electron microscopy revealed the deposition...

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs), cylindrical nanostructures containing graphene, were synthesized directly from South African fly ash (a waste product formed during the combustion of coal). The CNFs (as well as other carbonaceous materials like carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) were produced by the catalytic chemical vapour deposition method (CCVD) in the presence of acetylene gas at temperatures ranging from ...