Sensitivity impacts owing to the variations in the type of zero-range pairing forces on the fission properties using the density functional theory

Using the Skyrme density functional theory,potential energy surfaces of^(240)Pu with constraints on the axial quadrupole and octupole deformations(q_(20)and q_(30))were calculated.The volume-like and surface-like pairing forces,as well as a combination of these two forces,were used for the Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov approximation.Variations in the least-energy fission path,fission barrier,pairing energy,total kinetic energy,scission line,and mass distribution of the fission fragments based on the different forms of the pairing forces were analyzed and discussed.The fission dynamics were studied based on the timedependent generator coordinate method plus the Gaussian overlap approximation.The results demonstrated a sensitivity of the mass and charge distributions of the fission fragments on the form of the pairing force.Based on the investigation of the neutron-induced fission of^(239)Pu,among the volume,mixed,and surface pairing forces,the mixed pairing force presented a good reproduction of the experimental data.

Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology of Granite from the Xiazhuang Uranium Ore Field,South China:Implications for Exhumation History and Ore Preservation

Xiazhuang uranium ore field,located in the southern part of the Nanling Metallogenic Belt,is considered one of the largest granite-related U regions in South China.In this paper,we contribute new apatite fission track data and thermal history modeling to constrain the exhumation history and evaluate preservation potential of the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field.Nine Triassic outcrop granite samples collected from different locations of Xiazhuang Uranium ore field yield AFT ages ranging from 43 to 24 Ma with similar mean confined fission track lengths ranging from 11.8±2.0 to 12.9±1.9μm and Dpar values between 1.01 and 1.51μm.The robustness time-temperature reconstructions of samples from the hanging wall of Huangpi fault show that the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field experienced a time of monotonous and slow cooling starting from middle Paleocene to middle Miocene(~60-10 Ma),followed by relatively rapid exhumation in the late Miocene(~10-5 Ma)and nearly thermal stability in the Pliocene-Quaternary(~5-0 Ma).The amount of exhumation after U mineralization since the Middle Paleogene was estimated as~4.3±1.8 km according to the integrated thermal history model.Previous studies indicate that the ore-forming ages of U deposits in the Xiazhuang ore field are mainly before Middle Paleocene and the mineralization depths are more than 4.4±1.2 km.Therefore,the exhumation history since middle Paleocene plays important roles in the preservation of the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field.

Verification of neutron-induced fission product yields evaluated by a tensor decompsition model in transport-burnup simulations

Neutron-induced fission is an important research object in basic science.Moreover,its product yield data are an indispensable nuclear data basis in nuclear engineering and technology.The fission yield tensor decomposition(FYTD)model has been developed and used to evaluate the independent fission product yield.In general,fission yield data are verified by the direct comparison of experimental and evaluated data.However,such direct comparison cannot reflect the impact of the evaluated data on application scenarios,such as reactor transport-burnup simulation.Therefore,this study applies the evaluated fission yield data in transport-burnup simulation to verify their accuracy and possibility of application.Herein,the evaluated yield data of235U and239Pu are applied in the transport-burnup simulation of a pressurized water reactor(PWR)and sodium-cooled fast reactor(SFR)for verification.During the reactor operation stage,the errors in pin-cell reactivity caused by the evaluated fission yield do not exceed 500 and 200 pcm for the PWR and SFR,respectively.The errors in decay heat and135Xe and149Sm concentrations during the short-term shutdown of the PWR are all less than 1%;the errors in decay heat and activity of the spent fuel of the PWR and SFR during the temporary storage stage are all less than 2%.For the PWR,the errors in important nuclide concentrations in spent fuel,such as90Sr,137Cs,85Kr,and99Tc,are all less than 6%,and a larger error of 37%is observed on129I.For the SFR,the concentration errors of ten important nuclides in spent fuel are all less than 16%.A comparison of various aspects reveals that the transport-burnup simulation results using the FYTD model evaluation have little difference compared with the reference results using ENDF/B-Ⅷ.0 data.This proves that the evaluation of the FYTD model may have application value in reactor physical analysis.

Photobiomodulation provides neuroprotection through regulating mitochondrial fission imbalance in the subacute phase of spinal cord injury

Increasing evidence indicates that mitochonarial lission imbalance plays an important role in derayed neuronal cell death. Our previous study round that photo biomodulation improved the motor function of rats with spinal cord injury.However,the precise mechanism remains unclear.To investigate the effect of photo biomodulation on mitochondrial fission imbalance after spinal cord injury,in this study,we treated rat models of spinal co rd injury with 60-minute photo biomodulation(810 nm,150 mW) every day for 14 consecutive days.Transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the swollen and fragmented alte rations of mitochondrial morphology in neurons in acute(1 day) and subacute(7 and 14 days) phases.Photo biomodulation alleviated mitochondrial fission imbalance in spinal cord tissue in the subacute phase,reduced neuronal cell death,and improved rat posterior limb motor function in a time-dependent manner.These findings suggest that photobiomodulation targets neuronal mitochondria,alleviates mitochondrial fission imbalance-induced neuronal apoptosis,and thereby promotes the motor function recovery of rats with spinal cord injury.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor pracinostat suppresses colorectal cancer by inducing CDK5-Drp1 signaling-mediated peripheral mitofission

Divisions at the periphery and midzone of mitochondria are two fission signatures that determine the fate of mitochondria and cells.Pharmacological induction of excessively asymmetric mitofissionassociated cell death(MFAD)by switching the scission position from the mitochondrial midzone to the periphery represents a promising strategy for anticancer therapy.By screening a series of paninhibitors,we identified pracinostat,a pan-histone deacetylase(HDAC)inhibitor,as a novel MFAD inducer,that exhibited a significant anticancer effect on colorectal cancer(CRC)in vivo and in vitro.Pracinostat increased the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 5(CDK5)and induced its acetylation at residue lysine 33,accelerating the formation of complex CDK5/CDK5 regulatory subunit 1 and dynaminrelated protein 1(Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial peripheral fission.CRC cells with high level of CDK5(CDK5-high)displayed midzone mitochondrial division that was associated with oncogenic phenotype,but treatment with pracinostat led to a lethal increase in the already-elevated level of CDK5 in the CRC cells.Mechanistically,pracinostat switched the scission position from the mitochondrial midzone to the periphery by improving the binding of Drp1 from mitochondrial fission factor(MFF)to mitochondrial fission 1 protein(FIS1).Thus,our results revealed the anticancer mechanism of HDACi pracinostat in CRC via activating CDK5-Drp1 signaling to cause selective MFAD of those CDK5-high tumor cells,which implicates a new paradigm to develop potential therapeutic strategies for CRC treatment.

Exhumation and Preservation of the Jinchuan Ni-Cu-PGE Deposit under the East Longshou Mountain Thermal Evolution,Revealed by Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology

Uplift and exhumation are important factors affecting the preservation of deposits.The anatomy of uplift-cooling evolution and exhumation in the East Longshou Mountain is of significant research value in understanding changes in the Jinchuan Ni-Cu-PGE deposit since its formation.This study uses apatite fission track(AFT)thermochronology to reconstruct the thermal history of the East Longshou Mountain,including the Jinchuan mine,revealing the uplift and exhumation history of the East Longshou Mountain and elucidating the preservation status of the Jinchuan deposit.The AFT ages in the East Longshou Mountain are distributed from 62.3±3.0 Ma to 214.7±14 Ma,with significant differences in ages in distinct areas,the central and pooled ages being consistent within the margin of error.Inverse thermal history models reveal two rapid cooling events associated with exhumation from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous(200–100 Ma)and since the Miocene(15–0 Ma),the former attributable to the far-afield response to the closure of the PaleoTethys Ocean and plate assembly at the southern margin of Eurasia,the latter associated with the initial India-Eurasia plate collision.A slow cooling event from the Early Cretaceous to the Miocene(100–15 Ma)is thought to be related to the arid environment in northwest China since the Cretaceous.These cooling events have diverse responses and cooling rates in different blocks of the East Longshou Mountain:the southwest and centre of which are mainly cooled over 200–120 Ma and 120–0 Ma,with cooling rates of~0.25 and~0.33°C/Ma(~1.25 and~0.33°C/Ma in the centre);the Jinchuan mine primarily cooled over 160–100 Ma,100–15 Ma and 15–0 Ma,with cooling rates of~1.33,~0.25 and~2.00°C/Ma.These differentiated coolings imply that the uplift of the East Longshou Mountain before the Miocene(~15 Ma)was integral.Strong uplift then occurred in the vicinity of the mining area,which is a critical period for the uplift of the Jinchuan deposit to the surface,meaning that the Jinchuan deposit was exposed no earlier than the Miocene(~15 Ma).Based on mineralization depth information obtained by previous researchers,in conjunction with the calculation and simulation results of this study,it can be seen that the bulk of the Jinchuan intrusion may still be preserved at depth.

Product yields for the photofission of ^(232)Th,^(234,238)U,^(237)Np,and ^(239,240,242)Pu actinides at various incident photon energies

Photofission fragments mass yield for^(232)Th,^(234;238) U,^(237) Np, and^(239;240;242) Pu isotopes are investigated.The calculations are done using a developed approach based on Gorodisskiy's phenomenological formalism. The Gorodisskiy's method is developed to be applied for the neutron-induced fission. Here we revised it for application to photofission. The effect of emitted neutron prior to fission on the fission fragment mass yields has also been studied. The peak-to-valley ratio is extracted for the240 Pu isotope as a function of energy. Obtained results of the present formalism are compared with the available experimental data. Satisfactory agreement is achieved between the results of present approach and the experimental data.

Fundamental Architecture and Performance Analysis of Photofission Pulsed Space Propulsion System Using Ultra-Intense Laser

Photofission enables a unique capability for the domain of non-chemical space propulsion. An ultra-intense laser enables the capacity to induce nuclear fission through the development of bre- msstrahlung photons. A fundamental architecture and performance analysis of a photofission pulsed space propulsion system through the operation of an ultra-intense laser is presented. A historical perspective of previous conceptual nuclear fission propulsion systems is addressed. These applications use neutron derived nuclear fission;however, there is inherent complexity that has precluded further development. The background of photofission is detailed. The conceptual architecture of photofission pulsed space propulsion and fundamental performance parameters are established. The implications are the energy source and ultra-intense laser can be situated far remote from the propulsion system. Advances in supporting laser technologies are anticipated to increase the potential for photofission pulsed space propulsion. The fundamental performance analysis of the photofission pulsed space propulsion system indicates the architecture is feasible for further evaluation.

Project New Orion: Pulsed Nuclear Space Propulsion Using Photofission Activated by Ultra-Intense Laser

Project New Orion entails a pulsed nuclear space propulsion system that utilizes photofission through the implementation of an ultra-intense laser. The historical origins derive from the endeavors of Project Orion, which utilized thermonuclear devices to impart a considerable velocity increment on the respective spacecraft. The shear magnitude of Project Orion significantly detracts from the likelihood of progressive research development testing and evaluation. Project New Orion incorporates a more feasible pathway for the progressive research development testing and evaluation of the pulsed nuclear space propulsion system. Photofission through the application of an ultra-intense laser enables a much more controllable and scalable nuclear yield. The energy source for the ultra-intense laser is derived from a first stage liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen chemical propulsion system. A portion of the thermal/kinetic energy of the rocket propulsive fluid is converted to electrical energy through a magneto-hydrodynamic generator with cryogenic propellant densification for facilitating the integral superconducting magnets. Fundamental analysis of Project New Orion demonstrates the capacity to impart a meaningful velocity increment through ultra-intense laser derived photofission on a small spacecraft.

Thermal History of Rocks in the Shiwandashan Basin, Southern China: Evidence from Apatite Fission Track Analysis

Based on interpretations of the apatite fission track analysis data for 10 outcrop samples and forward modeling of confined fission track length distributions, the thermal history of rocks in the Shiwandashan basin and its adjacent area, southern China, has been qualitatively and semi quantitatively studied. The results reflect several features of the thermal history. Firstly, all the samples have experienced temperatures higher than 60-70 ℃. Secondly, the time that the basement strata (T 1 b ) on the northwestern side of the Shiwandashan basin were uplifted and exhumed to the unannealed upper crust (with a paleogeotemperature of below 60-70 ℃) is much earlier than the basement rocks ( γ 1 5) on the southeastern side of the basin. Thirdly, the thermal history of samples from the basin can be divided into six stages, i.e., the fast burial and heating stage (220-145 Ma), the transient cooling stage (145-135 Ma), the burial and heating stage (135-70 Ma), the rapid cooling stage (70-50 Ma), the relatively stable stage (50-20 Ma) and another rapid cooling stage (20 Ma to present).

MEASUREMENT OF PROMPT NEUTRON SPECTRA OF ^（238）U FISSION INDUCED BY 10．17 AND 12．12 MeV NEUTRONS

Erperimental method to measure the prompt neutron spectra of 238U fissioninduced by fast neutrons has been developed at HI-13 Tandem Van de Grab Accelerator Laboratory of CIAE. These techniques employ a multi-segment fission chamberand tab liquid scintillator neutron detectors. TOF (time of flight) techniques are usedfor prilnny neutrons to select the fission evellts induced by monoenergetic neutronfrom 'H(d, n) reactions instead of breakup neutrons from 'H(d, up) reactions. Thefission neutron TOF spectra are measured in coincidence with the fission fragmellts todistinguish fission neutrons from other secondals neutrons. The method perests measurements to a forly good accuracy under large neutron and gamma ray baCkgroulld.The tecboques are described and experimelltal spectra are presented.

Prediction of the Average Decay Heat per Fission for MOX Nuclear Fuel

MIXED Oxide Nuclear fuel (MOX) contains both uranium and plutonium in oxidized form. It is important to calculate the nuclear decay heat due to the single thermal fission (fission due to 0.0235 eV neutron) for all fissile nuclei in the MOX fuels (U235, Pu239, and Pu241). These fissile nuclei are the main source of the decay heat in MOX fuel. Decay heat calculation of the weighted fissile material content in MOX fuel is also important. A numerical method was used in this work to calculate the concentrations of all fission products due to the individual thermal fission of the three fissile materials as a function of time N(t). The decay heat calculations for the three fissile materials are directly calculated using the summation method by knowing the different concentrations of fission products over time. The average decay heat of the MOX fuel in induced thermal fission is also concluded. The most influential nuclei in the decay heat were also identified. The method used has been validated by several comparisons before, but the new in this work is using the most recent Evaluated Nuclear Data Library ENDF/B-VIII.0. Calculations of decay heat show very common trends for a period of 107 sec after the fission burst of thermal fissions of individual fissile nuclei. Moreover, the code showed high capability in calculating the fission fragments inventories and decay heats due to the decay of fission fragments of 31 fissionable nuclei.

Fission Fragment Decay Heat by Using the Most Recent Evaluated Nuclear Data Library ENDF/B-VIII

In this paper, a home-made code was designed to calculate the decay heat emitted by fission fragments as a result of successive radioactive emissions after a fission burst. The nuclear data necessary for the calculations was extracted from the latest version of the Evaluated Nuclear Data Library ENDF/B-VIII.0. The code can calculate the decay heat of thermal and fast neutron-induced fission reactions on the isotopes of Thorium, Protactinium, Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Americium, Curium, California, Einsteinium, and Fermium. A numerical method was used in this work to calculate the decay heat of all fission fragments due to the individual thermal or fast fissions of the isotopes of the previous ten actinides. The most influential nuclei in the decay heat were also identified at different times after the fission event. Moreover, the code showed high capability in calculating the fission fragments inventories and decay heats due to the decay of fission fragments of 31 fissionable nuclei.

Analysis of Fission Fragments Contributors on Total Decay Heat of Thermal Neutron-Induced Fission of U-235

Calculation of the decay heat from the decay/buildup of radionuclides generated after nuclear fission is one of the highest priorities in the nuclear industry. These calculations become more important if they are made together with the analysis of the most important isotopes affecting the decay heat. They are useful in designing the necessary nuclear safety for spent fuels, and their importance cannot be overlooked in the designs of transporting fuel storage containers as well as in the management of the radioactive waste generated. In this paper, by using MATLAB, the decay heat after the thermal fission of a U-235 nucleus was numerically calculated by solving linear differential equations for all the buildups/decays of the fission products. Also, the most contribution of radioactive isotopes to the decay heat was analyzed by using Microsoft Excel. The most influential isotopes were deduced in two ways;either by calculating the most influential isotopes at specific times, or by determining the largest influences in a cumulative manner. All required nuclear data such as decay constants their branching ratios, independent fission yield, and average α-, β-, and γ-energies released per disintegration of any nuclide, have been extracted from the latest version of the Evaluated Nuclear Data Files (ENDF) database ENDF/B-VIII.0. The two different methods used showed a difference in the contributing isotopes, which is logical for the difference in the method of calculation. The first method is suitable for instantaneous data while the second method is more suitable when there is a need to know the cumulative calculations. In sum, we can say that both methods complement each other, and neither of them can be dispensed with in the accurate calculations related to transportation and storage of spent fuel.

Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation of the Northern Hexi Corridor：Constrained by Apatite Fission Track Ages of the Longshoushan

The apatite fission track（AFT） ages and thermal modeling of the Longshoushan and deformation along the northern Hexi Corridor on the northern side of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau show that the Longshoushan along the northern corridor had experienced important multi-stage exhumations during the Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The AFT ages of 7 samples range from 31.9 Ma to 111.8 Ma.Thermal modeling of the AFT ages of the samples shows that the Longshoushan experienced significant exhumation during the Late Cretaceous to the Early Cenozoic（-130-25 Ma）. The Late Cretaceous exhumation of the Longshoushan may have resulted from the continuous compression between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks and the flat slab subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic plate, which affected wide regions across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. During the Early Cenozoic, the Longshoushan still experienced exhumation, but this process was caused by the Indian-Eurasian collision. Since this time,the Longshoushan was in a stable stage for approximately 20 Ma and experienced erosion. Since -5 Ma,obvious tectonic deformation occurred along the entire northern Hexi Corridor, which has also been reported from the peripheral regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, especially in the Qilianshan and northeastern margin of the plateau. The AFT ages and the Late Cenozoic deformation of the northern Hexi Corridor all indicate that the present northern boundary of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is situated along the northern Hexi Corridor.

Apatite Fission Track Evidence of Uplift Cooling in the Qiangtang Basin and Constraints on the Tibetan Plateau Uplift

The Qiangtang basin is located in the central Tibetan Plateau. This basin has an important structural position, and further study of its tectonic and thermal histories has great significance for understanding the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and the hydrocarbon potential of marine carbonates in the basin. This study focuses on low temperature thermochronology and in particular conducted apatite fission track analysis. Under constraints provided by the geological background, the thermal history in different tectonic units is characterized by the degree of annealing of samples, and the timing of major （uplift-erosion related） cooling episodes is inferred. The cooling history in the Qiangtang basin can be divided into two distinct episodes. The first stage is mainly from the late Early Cretaceous to the Late Cretaceous （69.8 Ma to 108.7 Ma）, while the second is mainly from the Middle- Late Eocene to the late Miocene （10.3 Ma to 44.4 Ma）. The first cooling episode records the uplift of strata in the central Qiangtang basin caused by continued convergent extrusion after the Bangong- Nujiang ocean closed. The second episode can be further divided into three periods, which are respectively 10.3 Ma, 22.6-26.1 Ma and 30.8-44.4 Ma. The late Oligocene-early Miocene （22.6-26.1 Ma） is the main cooling period. The distribution and times of the earlier uplift-related cooling show that the effect of extrusion after the collision between Eurasian plate and India plate obviously influenced the Qiangtang basin at 44.4 Ma. The Qiangtang basin underwent compression and started to be uplifted from the middle-late Eocene to the early Oligocene （45.0-30.8 Ma）. Subsequently, a large-scale and intensive uplift process occurred during the late Oligocene to early Miocene （26.1-22.6 Ma） and the basin continued to undergo compression and uplift up to the late Miocene （10.3 Ma）. Thus, uplift-erosion in the Qiangtang basin was intensive from 44.5 Ma to about 10 Ma. The timing of cooling in the second episode shows that the uplift of the Qiangtang basin was caused by the strong compression after the collision of the Indian plate and Eurasian plate. On the whole, the new apatite fission-track data from the Qiangtang basin show that the Tibetan Plateau started to extrude and uplift during 45-30.8 Ma. The main period of uplift and formation of the Tibetan Plateau took place about 22.6-26.1 Ma, and uplift and extrusion continued until the late Miocene （10.3 Ma）.

The Exhumation History of North Qaidam Thrust Belt Constrained by Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology:Implication for the Evolution of the Tibetan Plateau

Determining the spatio-temporal distribution of the deformation tied to the India-Eurasian convergence and the impact of pre-existing weaknesses on the Cenozoic crustal deformation is significant for understanding how the convergence between India and Eurasia contributed to the development of the Tibetan Plateau. The exhumation history of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau was addressed in this research using a new apatite fission track （AFT） study in the North Qaidam thrust belt （NQTB）. Three granite samples collected from the Qaidam Shan pluton in the north tied to the Qaidam Shan thrust, with AFT ages clustering in the Eocene to Miocene. The other thirteen samples obtained from the Luliang Shan and Yuka plutons in the south related to the Luliang Shan thrust and they have showed predominantly the Cretaceous AFT ages. Related thermal history modeling based on grain ages and track lengths indicates rapid cooling events during the Eocene-early Oligocene and since late Miocene within the Qaidam Shan, in contrast to those in the Cretaceous and since the Oligocene-Miocene in the Luliang Shan and Yuka region. The results, combined with published the Cretaceous thermochronological ages in the Qaidam Shan region, suggest that the NQTB had undergo rapid exhumation during the accretions along the southern Asian Andean-type margin prior to the India-Eurasian collision. The Cenozoic deformation initially took place in the North Qaidam thrust belt by the Eocene, which is consistent with the recent claim that the deformation of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau initiated in the Eocene as a response to continental collision between India and Eurasia. The immediate deformation responding to the collision is tentatively attributed to the preexisting weaknesses of the lithosphere, and therefore the deformation of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau should be regarded as a boundary-condition-dependent process.

Fission Track Thermochronology Evidence for the Cretaceous and Paleogene Tectonic Event of Nyainrong Microcontinent, Tibet

Fission track dating was applied to analyze the 20 samples from Nyainrong microcontinent, and we obtained 20 apatite and 15 zircon fission track ages. The results show single population grain ages with a single mean age and associated central ages mainly ranging from 108±7Ma to 35±4Ma.Their mean track lengths are 12.2-13.9 μm with a single peak. Zircon fission track age range from 78±3 Ma to 117±4 Ma. The results represented the two tectonic uplift events in the study area, namely the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. According to thermal history modeling results, uplifting rates of two tectonic events is 0.31-0.1 mm/a and 0.07-0.04 mm/a respectively. Combined with field condition and study results, it is suggested that the Cretaceous tectonic uplift event was related to the closure ocean basin caused by Qaingtang-Lhasa collision, and the Paleogene tectonic uplift event was related to the south to thrust system caused by Indo-Asian collision.

Meso-Cenozoic Tectonic Events Recorded by Apatite Fission Track in the Northern Longmen-Micang Mountains Region

There is a cross-cutting relationship between the E-W trending structures and the NE- trending structures in the northern Longmen-Micang Mountains region, which reflects possible regional tectonic transition and migration. Apatite fission track （AFT） analyses of 15 samples collected from this area yield apparent ages varying from 30.3±4.2 Ma to 111.7±9.0 Ma and confined-track-lengths ranging from 10.6±0.3 pm to 12.4±0.1 μm. Four specific groups were identified on the basis of the Track Age Spectrum Calculation （TASC） patterns, i.e., 143-112 Ma, 93.6-88 Ma, 42-40 Ma and -25.6 Ma. These age groups correspond to the spatial distributions of datasets and may represent four tectonic events. Together with the regional deformation patterns, the four age groups are interpreted to indicate tectonic superposition, transition and migration during the Meso-Cenozoic with the following possible order： （1） the Micang Mountains belt was dominated by the E-W trending structure during 143-112 Ma; （2） the contraction of the Longmen Mountains belt from the NW to the SE during 93.6-88 Ma led to the superposition of the NE-trending structures over the E-W trendinding structures; （3） dextral strike-slip shear dominated the Longmen Mountains belt at 42-40 Ma; （4） westward migration of the active tectonic belt occurred from 93.6-25.6 Ma in a break-back sequence in the northern Longmen Mountains belt. The Late Cenozoic tectonics in the northern Longmen Mountains belt are characterized by the dextral strike-slip shear and the occurrence of westward break-back sequence of deformations. As a result, north-south differences in deformations along the Longmen Mountains belt were intensified since the Miocene time and strains were mainly accumulated in the hinterland of the Longmen Mountains instead of being propagated to the foreland basin.

Apatite fission track thermochronology in the Kuluketage and Aksu areas,NW China:Implication for tectonic evolution of the northern Tarim

Tarim Precambrian bedrocks are well exposed in the Kuluketage and Aksu areas, where twenty four samples were taken to reveal the denudation history of the northern Tarim Craton. Apatite fission track dating and thermal history modeling suggest that the northern Tarim experienced multi-stage cooling events which were assumed to be associated with the distant effects of the Cimmerian orogeny and India-Eurasia collision in the past. But the first episode of exhumation in the northern Tarim, occurring in the mid-Permian to Triassic, is here suggested to be induced by docking of the Tarim Craton and final amalgamation of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The cooling event at ca. 170 Ma may be triggered by the Qiangtang-Eurasia collision. Widespread Cretaceous exhumation could be linked with docking of the Lhasa terrane in the late Jurassic. Cenozoic reheating and recooling likely occurred because of the northpropagating stress, however, this has not affected the northern Tarim much because the Tarim is characterized by rigid block-like motion.