Dark Material Research Articles

Geology of Tolstoj quadrangle (H08), Mercury

ABSTRACT Tolstoj quadrangle (H08) is located in the equatorial area of Mercury, between 22.5°N and 22.5°S and 144° and 216°E. Using the NASA/MESSENGER data, we compiled a geological map of the quadrangle at a scale of 1:3.000.000. The main basemap we used was the MDIS 166 m/pixel BDR mosaic. In addition, mosaics with high-incidence illumination from west and east, MDIS global color mosaics, and the MDIS global DEM have been taken into account. In the map, we considered three feature classes: geological units, lineaments, and surface features. Geological units consist of crater material and plains. Lineaments include crater and pit rims, and structures. Finally, surface features are subdivided into crater chains or clusters, hollows, faculae, bright and dark material. The geological map will be integrated into the global 1:3M geological map of Mercury, which is being prepared in support to the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission.

An Experimental Study on the Effect of Nano Zinc Oxide on Reflective Coatings and Building Roof Temperatures

Most roofs on Earth are made of dark materials. Dark roof surfaces can retain heat better than light ones; in Iraq, summer time temperatures on the roofs of dark buildings reached 70–80 degrees Celsius in July and August. The effects of this temperature rise are detrimental to cooling and energy consumption. To lessen heat transfer into the building, use reflective surfaces that can reflect infrared radiation waves. Cool roofs have both short-term and long-term advantages. They can reduce a building's annual air conditioning energy consumption by up to 15%, extend the life of the roof and its service life, improve the energy efficiency of roofs particularly those with inadequate insulation at the front of the roof improve thermal comfort in buildings without air conditioning, and lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Solar heat is one of the main factors affecting the durability of roofing membranes, according to research and real-world experience with the deterioration of these materials over time. High solar reflectance materials can reflect more sunlight and maintain their coolness in the sun. This study examines a low-cost composite cool coating that uses 60% calcium carbonate and demonstrates a 15°C drop in surface concrete temperature for roof buildings when compared to an uncoated surface. Additionally, compared to 30%wt CaCO3, the effect of 60%CaCO3 in composite coating reduces adhesion strength. According to the study, the weight of CaCO3 in the composite coating increases while adhesion strength, surface roughness, and particle homogeneity distribution decrease. Conversely, the maximum weight of CaCO360% weight percent exhibits good IR reflectance and less tribological properties. While preserving good infrared reflectance, adding 10% ZnO to the coating solution (60% CaCO3/PVac) improves tribological properties. The adhesion strength of the 60% calcium carbonate polymer composite paint increased from 10.9 MPa to 40.2 MPa when the nanomaterial was present, while this material maintained the superior optical qualities of infrared reflection. The coefficient of thermal expansion varies between concrete and coating solutions. For instance, the coating that has 10% weight added ZnO has a peel resistance coefficient of 8*10-6 1/K. The 60%CaCO3/10%ZnO/PVac coating effectively lowers the temperature by 15–12 °C when applied to a building roof.

A New Powerful Magnetic Dark Catalyst Based on rGO/Fe3O4/CdSe Nanocomposite for Ultrafast Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye.

In the present study, Rgo/Fe3O4/CdSe as a dark catalyst material was synthesized by a refluxing method. The synthesized magnetic nanocomposites were studied by various analyses such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman, Zeta and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Characterization of structural analysis showed that the nanocomposites were successfully synthesized. The absorption spectrum was used to determine the dark catalyst activity of rGO/Fe3O4/CdSe nanocomposite. Analysis of the absorption spectrum showed that the prepared nanocomposites degrade the MB organic dye completely (100%) after 2min of stirring in the dark, also experimenting with different pH showed that the best performance for the degradation of MB occurs in neutral and alkaline media. The Raman spectrum analysis showed that the Fe3O4/CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were correctly incorporated on the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets. Zeta potential analysis showed that rGO/Fe3O4/CdSe has a large amount of negative charge on its surface and the surface charge increased by about 16 mV compared to the Fe3O4/CdSe compound. BET and BJH techniques were used to determine the effective surface area and pore size diameter, BET results to determine the effective surface area showed that by adding graphene to the compound, the specific surface area increased from 42.877 m2g-1 to 54.1896 m2g-1. The radical scavenger experiment showed that electrons play an essential role in the degradation process. VSM analysis showed that the prepared nanocomposites have excellent superparamagnetic behavior, this advantage enables the easy collection of nanocatalysts by magnets from wastewater after dye degradation.

Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Trematosphaeria grisea in an immunocompromised English springer spaniel

AbstractA 10‐year‐old, male, farm‐based springer spaniel that presented with subacute progressive left‐sided central vestibular signs was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis of unknown origin. The patient received prednisolone (2 mg/kg/day orally), ciclosporin (5 mg/kg orally twice a day) and a single infusion of cytarabine (200 mg/m2). Six weeks later, neurological signs had resolved, but multiple cutaneous nodules developed on the limbs, trunk and face. Lesions discharged a dark purulent material without tissue grains. A ‘filamentous fungus’ was isolated, but discarded without identification. Aspirates from nodules showed pigmented, septate fungal hyphae, and culture of aspirates yielded Trematosphaeria grisea. Itraconazole (5 mg/kg once a day) and gradual tapering of immunosuppressive drugs led to resolution of nodular lesions over 4 months without neurological relapse. A fungal granuloma developed transiently 8 months after starting itraconazole. Immunosuppressive drugs were stopped 15 months after introduction without neurological relapse. Itraconazole was withdrawn 8 weeks later, 5 months after last relapse of skin disease.

Ray and Halo Impact Craters on Ganymede: Fingerprint for Decoding Ganymede's Crustal Structure

AbstractImpact craters are a unique tool not only for inferring ages of planetary surfaces and examining geological processes, but also for exploring subsurface properties. We use ejecta blankets as proxies to obtain insights into the subsurface characteristics and the vertical stratification of Ganymede's icy crust. We investigated 36 prominent ray and halo craters using images acquired during the Voyager, Galileo, and Juno spacecraft missions. These craters exhibit diverse characteristics, including dark rays, bright rays, or their combination, in both continuous and discontinuous patterns as well as dark and bright halos. Dark halo craters (DHCs) have the smallest radial extents of their dark ejecta deposits, while dark ray craters (DRCs) have the largest. DRCs in dark terrain suggest a thickness of less than ∼2 km based on their excavation depths. DRCs and DHCs craters located in light terrain (LT) reveal significant heterogeneity in the uppermost portions of icy crust at various locations. DRCs and DHCs in the LT require the presence of at least one layer of dark material. This is the case if the LT is formed by tectonic rifting and graben formation. In contrast, if the LT is formed by tectonic spreading, bright halo and ray craters are expected to form.

The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials: The Bible and Paradise Lost of Children’s Literature

The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials: The Bible and Paradise Lost of Children’s Literature

Detailed chemical composition analysis of the Soi crater region on Titan

The Soi crater region (0° to 60°N, 180°W to −110°W), which includes the well-preserved Soi crater in its center, spans a region from Titan's aeolian-dominated equatorial regions to fluvially-dominated high northern latitudes. This provides a rich diversity of landscapes, one that is also representative of the diversity encountered across Titan. Schoenfeld et al. (2023) mapped this region at 1:800,000 scale and produced a geomorphological map showing that the area consists of 22 types of geomorphological units. The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) coverage of the region enabled the detailed analysis of spectra of 261 different locations using a radiative transfer technique and a mixing model, yielding compositional constraints on Titan's optical surface layer. Additional constraints on composition on the near-surface substrate were obtained from microwave emissivity. We have derived combinations of top surface materials between dark materials, tholins, water-ice, and methane suggesting that dark mobile organic material at equatorial and high latitudes indicates “young” terrains and compositions, while tholin/water-ice mixtures that dominate areas around latitude 35°N show a material that is older plains deposits that we interpret to be the end stage of aeolian and fluvial transport and deposition. We found no spectral evidence of CO2, HC3N, and NH3 ice. We use the stratigraphic relations between the various mapping units and the relation between the geomorphology and the composition of the surface layers to build hypotheses on the origin and evolution of the regional geology. We suggest that sedimentary deposits, likely aeolian, are dominant in the region with fluvial activity and leaching changing the nature of the top surfaces of the midlatitude areas of the Soi crater region.

Ultralong Blue Organic Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence Promoted by Green Assembly

AbstractIn recent years, there is a growing interest in developing ultralong organic room‐temperature phosphorescence (ORTP) with lifetimes in the range of seconds. As one of the important three primary colors, ultralong blue ORTP is an indispensable core component in RTP regulation and application, however, the large Stokes shift characteristics pose certain challenges in developing ultralong blue ORTP. Here, a new family of blue phosphors are synthesized and ultralong blue ORTP are realized through crystal assembly in water and organic phase. Remarkably, compared to crystal materials obtained in organic phases, assembly materials obtained in water enabled long‐lived blue ORTP with lifetimes up to 2.3 s and phosphorescence quantum yield reached as high as 29.27%. In addition to the efficient and green assembly form, such dark blue ORTP materials possessed high thermal stability and flexible tunability. Moreover, the superiority of the selected assembly components is demonstrated by comparing them with polymer assembly and the proposed blue ORTP materials show great potential in an organic programmable information encryption/anti‐counterfeiting.

The impact of local microclimates and Urban Greening Factor on schools’ thermal conditions during summer: A study in Coventry, UK

Thermal comfort in schools affects children's wellbeing and educational outcomes. Global warming and frequent heatwaves have worsened the overheating issue in schools, especially in Western European countries, like the UK. While previous studies have mainly focused on residential and commercial buildings, school-related research often emphasised indoor thermal conditions, neglecting the broader influence of microclimates on the overall thermal conditions. Therefore, this research explores the thermal conditions in schools, during the summer of 2023, with a specific focus on the impact of greenery and materials. Urban Greening Factor (UGF) and its relationship with indoor and outdoor air temperatures were explored for the first time.Field studies were conducted in four primary schools in Coventry, UK, measuring indoor air temperatures and micrometeorological parameters. Tree shade demonstrated a substantial cooling effect, reducing air temperature and mean radiant temperature by up to 6.4 °C and 22.9 °C, respectively. Considerable difference between measured air temperatures in sunlight and official meteorological records highlights the need for microclimatic studies in schools. Thermal imagery identified high surface temperatures on artificial grass (67 °C) and asphalt (55 °C). Urban Greening Factor showed a strong correlation with classroom temperatures but failed to account for spatial greenery distribution and subsequently outdoor thermal conditions. The study concludes that optimising tree shade and replacing dark and artificial materials, are necessary for effective heat mitigation, offering valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners to create thermally comfortable and sustainable school environments.

Detection and characterisation of icy cavities on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Abstract We report on the detection of three icy cavities on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. They were identified on high-resolution anaglyphs built from images acquired by the OSIRIS instrument aboard the Rosetta spacecraft on 2016 April 9-10. Visually, they appear as bright patches of typically 15 to 30 m across whose large reflectances and spectral slopes in the visible substantiate the presence of sub-surface water ice. Using a new high-resolution photogrammetric shape model, we determined the three-dimensional shape of these cavities whose depth ranges from 20 to 47 m. Spectral slopes were interpreted with models combining water ice and refractory dark material and the water ice abundances in the cavities were found to amount to a few per cent. The determination of the lifetime of the icy cavities was strongly biased by the availability of appropriate and favourable observations, but we found evidences of values of up to two years. The icy cavities were found to be connected to jets well documented in past studies. A thermal model allowed us to track their solar insolation over a large part of the orbit of the comet and a transitory bright jet on 2015 July 18 was unambiguously linked to the brief illumination of the icy bottom of one of the cavities. These cavities are likely to be the first potential subsurface access points detected on a cometary nucleus and their lifetimes suggest that they reveal pristine sub-surface icy layers or pockets rather than recently recondensed water vapor.

His dark materials: Quantifying the problem of dust (particulate matter) in the agricultural landscape of California

The composition and amounts of dust or particulate matter (PM) vary greatly in the atmosphere and particulates can have major adverse impacts on human health. Since PM10 deposition to foliage can improve air quality, there have been a number of studies of PM10 amounts on the surface of urban vegetation. Much less is known about PM in agricultural areas, although PM10 can be harmful to vegetation and, for food crops, have the potential to be ingested. Here we have quantified PM across the agricultural landscape of California, measuring the amounts present on the foliage of 18 crops at 21 locations. The amounts of particulates present varied (0.17–6.9 gm-2) and PM loads on leaves in the south and east of the area were higher than those in the northern and westerly locations. Our findings suggest that the amounts of particulates on the surface of agricultural crops can be high; exceeding the usual range of values for urban areas. Our data indicate that agricultural crops grown in regions like California and the Mediterranean where summer rainfall is largely absent and drip rather than spray irrigation is used are more vulnerable to PM accumulation and to any adverse effects resulting from these deposits. Microscopic analysis of PM10 on foliage showed that in these agricultural areas wind-blown soil particles make up 74.2% of the PM10 present; this is thus a very significant source. A small number of microplastic particles (2.2%) were also identified on foliage. We suggest that PM and microplastics could impact food and forage quality and that more work is needed to examine PM deposition to crops and their range of impacts.

Pwyll and Manannán Craters as a Laboratory for Constraining Irradiation Timescales on Europa

We examine high-spatial-resolution Galileo/Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer observations of the young (∼1 My–∼20 My) impact features, Pwyll and Manannán craters, on Europa’s trailing hemisphere in an effort to constrain irradiation timescales. We characterize their composition using a linear spectral modeling analysis, and find that both craters and their ejecta are depleted in hydrated sulfuric acid relative to nearby older terrain. This suggests that the radiolytic sulfur cycle has not yet had enough time to build up an equilibrium concentration of H2SO4, and places a strong lower limit of the age of the craters on the equilibrium timescale of the radiolytic sulfur cycle on Europa's trailing hemisphere. Additionally, we find that the dark and red material seen in the craters and proximal ejecta of Pwyll and Manannán show the spectroscopic signature of hydrated, presumably endogenic salts. This suggests that the irradiation-induced darkening and reddening of endogenic salts thought to occur on Europa’s trailing hemisphere has already happened at Pwyll and Manannán, thereby placing an upper limit on the timescale by which salts are irradiation reddened.

Grain size effects on the infrared spectrum of mineral mixtures with dark components: New laboratory experiments to interpret low-albedo rocky planetary surfaces

Context. A number of bodies in the Solar System are characterized by dark surfaces, from carbonaceous asteroids to the enigmatic surface of Phobos and Deimos. Our understanding of the spectroscopic behavior of low-albedo surfaces remains incomplete. To improve the interpretation of remote sensing data, laboratory studies continue to serve as a pivotal tool for unveiling the physical state and composition of such surfaces. Aims. Several processes can be simulated in the laboratory, however, the preparation and analysis of a complex mixing of analog material is one of the most fundamental among them, while also being one of the most complex when multiple components are used. In this work, we aim to study how dark material mixed with basaltic material at different grain sizes can affect the spectroscopic features from the near- to mid- infrared (1.25–25 µm). Methods. Our sample set includes four series of basaltic mix (feldspar and pyroxene) at different grain sizes from <50 µm to 1000 µm, mixed with amorphous carbon at increasing weight percentages ranging from 1% to 50%. We analyzed several features on the spectrum of each mineral mixture. In particular, we investigated the behavior of the: (i) near-infrared slope; (ii) 2.7 µm OH-stretching band; (iii) Christiansen features; and (iv) Reststrahlen band and Transparency feature. Results. The measurements presented in this work, which take into account a large wavelength range for the first time, point toward a critical effect of dark material, but with a different outcomes for each grain size. Some of the most interesting results involve the slope trend of modification with dark material and the variant behavior of the Reststrahlen band and Transparency feature. Conclusions. This dataset will offer a key support in the interpretation of data collected on dark surfaces by past and future space missions. This knowledge will be also important in the context of linking analyses of returned samples with remote sensing data collected on planetary surfaces.

Initiation and Eruption of a Two-turn Helical Quiescent Filament on 2013 August 2

We investigate a quiescent filament that erupted on 2013 August 2; the eruption was observed in EUV and Hα by the Solar Dynamics Observatory and GONG. After a B9.7 flare in the nearby active region, the dark filament materials near its eastern footpoint start to move in the direction of eruption, and are followed by a counterclockwise rotation identified as the motion of a combination of dark and bright filament materials. Then the entire filament rises up and keeps rotating in a clockwise direction during the eruption. More interestingly, the filament exhibits an unusual two-helix structure near its western footpoint during the eruption, which indicates the existence of a highly twisted flux rope. This hypothesis is confirmed by magnetic field modeling using the flux rope insertion method. In the best-fit unstable model, the lower limits of the estimated maximum and average twist numbers of the erupting flux rope reach 7.5π and 4π, which suggests that kink instability plays an important role in the eruption. During these magnetically coupled sympathetic eruptions, the highly twisted filament under the western lobe of a pseudo-streamer-like structure becomes unstable and erupts due to the removal of confinement by magnetic reconnection at the overlying hyperbolic flux tube, which is initiated by the B9.7 flare in the nearby active region. The initial filament motion occurs at the more unstable eastern footpoint, where the surrounding fields are weaker and decrease with height more rapidly.

Antioxidant Active Polysaccharides Extracted with Oxalate from Wild Blackthorn Fruits (Prunus spinosa L.).

Although several therapeutic effects have been attributed to wild blackthorn fruits, their use is still negligible. Purification of the antioxidant-active fraction, obtained from wild blackthorn fruits by hot ammonium oxalate extraction (Ao), yielded seven fractions after successive elution with water, sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide solutions. The purified fractions differ in carbohydrates, proteins, and phenolics. About 60% of the applied Ao material was recovered from the column, with the highest yields eluted with 0.25 M NaCl solution, accounting for up to 70 wt% of all eluted material. Analyses have shown that two dominant fractions (3Fa and 3Fb) contain 72.8-81.1 wt% of galacturonic acids, indicating the prevalence of homogalacturonans (HG) with a low acetyl content and a high degree of esterification. The low content of rhamnose, arabinose and galactose residues in both fractions indicates the presence of RG-I associated with arabinogalactan. In terms of yield, the alkali-eluted fraction was also significant, as a dark brown-coloured material with a yield of ~15 wt% with the highest content of phenolic compounds of all fractions. However, it differs from other fractions in its powdery nature, which indicates a high content of salts that could not be removed by dialysis.

The impact of chronic and acute problems on sea turtles: The consequences of the oil spill and ingestion of anthropogenic debris on the tropical semi-arid coast of Ceará, Brazil

Sea turtle mortality is often related to materials that reach the coast from different anthropic activities worldwide. This study aimed to investigate whether sea turtle mortality was related to older marine problems, such as solid waste, or one of the largest oil spill accidents on the Brazilian coast, that occurred in 2019. We posed three questions: 1) Are there solid residues in the digestive tract samples, and which typology is the most abundant? 2) Can meso‑ and macro-waste marine pollutants cause mortality? 3) Is the dark material found really oil? A total of 25 gastrointestinal content (GC) samples were obtained, of which 22 ingested waste of anthropogenic origin and 18 were necropsied. These 22 samples were obtained during or after the 2019 oil spill, of which 17 specimens were affected, making it possible to suggest oil ingestion with the cause of death in the animals that could be necropsied. Macroscopic data showed that the most abundant solid waste was plastic (76.05 %), followed by fabrics (12.18 %) and oil-like materials. However, chemical data confirmed only three specimens with oil levels ranging from remnants to high. It was possible to infer possible causes of death in 16 of the total 18 necropsied cases: Most deaths were due to respiratory arrest (62.5 %), followed by pulmonary edema (12.5 %), cachexia syndrome (12.5 %), circulatory shock (6.25 %), and head trauma (6.25 %), which may have been caused by contact with solid waste, oil, or both. The study showed that not all dark material found in the GCs of turtles killed in oiled areas is truly oil, and in this sense, a chemical analysis step to prove the evidence of oil must be added to international protocols.

FIELD GEOLOGY AND PETROGRAPHY AROUND NABARDO-TORO ENVIRONS, NORTH EASTERN, NIGERIA

Background: The mapping exercise within the study ar ea on a scale of 1:25,000 was carried out to study the rocks, determine their distribution, composition, structures and assess the economic potential of the area. Objectives: The geology mapping aim to identify and understand the various geological structures present in the area to gain insights into the tectonic history and deformation processes that have shaped the area and to identify the minerals present in the rock, to understand the rock formation, composition and potential geologic processes involved. Method: Method of mapping involved road, footpath, rivers and stream traverses. Representative rock samples were collected for petrographic studies and geochemical analysis to establish the geology of the study area. Result: The study area which is part of Sheet 148, Toro SE is entirely typical of the Nigerian Basement Complex and is underlain by the following rock units: Migmatitic Gneiss, Granite gneiss, mica schist and porphyritic granite. The Migmatitic Gneiss constitutes the largest group of the rock units covering more than 45% of the mapped area and trending mainly NW/SE with few exceptions in an almost N/S to NE/SW direction. It is pertinent to know that almost E-W structures were also observed which forms relics of the older structure believed to have been affected by the eburnean (possibly) orogenic event. The granite gneiss shares boundary mainly with the migmatitic gneiss showing a weak foliation of light and dark materials. The mica schist is exposed at the western end, highly weathered with a general trend of NW/SE. The porphyritic granite intruded both the migmatite and granite gneiss occurring prominently as hilly and bouldery outcrops. However, flat lying low lying was also observed in some other localities. With respect to field observation and petrographical study the lithologies encountered were grouped into nine (9) categories- homogeneous, inhomogeneous, stromatic, banded orthogneiss, nebulitic, apo granite, pegmatite, intermediate and schist.Conclusion: Field evidence suggests that the study area has undergone an episode of metamorphism and deformations as depicted by the structural features like preferred orientation of the mineralogical and lithological units. It was also observed from the field measurements, that the main structural trend within the study area is from NNE/SSW.

Microwave spectra of the leading and trailing hemispheres of Iapetus

The leading hemisphere of Saturn’s synchronous moon Iapetus is covered by a low-albedo material, contrasting with its bright trailing hemisphere. This dichotomy is also apparent in radar and microwave radiometry observations, which are sensitive to the properties of the near subsurface. To better understand the regional properties of Iapetus and their variations with depth, we assemble the microwave spectra of its leading and trailing hemispheres. Pre-existing data are combined with new millimetric and centimetric observations acquired with the IRAM 30-meter dish, IRAM NOEMA interferometer, and VLA interferometer. These data, interpreted with the help of a model with vertically uniform thermal properties, reveal complex variations in structure and/or composition with depth on the leading side. Meanwhile, the trailing side emissivity is found to be especially low at all observed frequencies, indicating efficient scattering processes on subsurface structures, as observed on Saturn’s other icy moons. We also report the first observations of Saturn’s retrograde moon Phoebe at these frequencies, which has an emissivity higher than that of the trailing hemisphere of Iapetus and similar to its dark leading side, consistent with the theory that Phoebe is the source of the dark material on Iapetus.

Character in Young Adult fiction: The example of Lyra in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials (1995-2000) and The Book of Dust (2017- )

Few studies have examined the question of characters and the specific ways in which they are treated in children's literature. Yet the construction of the character is all the more important in novels for children and teenagers as a large proportion of these books focus on Bildung and personal development through the exploration of the transition from childhood to maturity.I examine the treatment of character in these books through the case study of young Lyra, Philip Pullman’s new Eve in His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy (1995-2000). On the one hand, the treatment of the character of Lyra belongs to a rather conventional novelistic tradition in several respects. But on the other hand, it also benefits from more innovative elements related with the possibilities offered by fantasy, a genre which is still at the height of popularity with young adults. Daemons, for instance, are animal creatures in Lyra’s familiar yet different world who are closely connected to their human counterparts and disclose their owners’ innermost nature while playing the protective part of totemic animals. This metaphor is one of the devices in the trilogy, along with the alethiometer—a compass-like symbol-reader—, through which the character of Lyra is revealed to the reader.The fact that Pullman’s work belongs to the genre of young adult fiction is also essential. This literature targeting a liminal age group whose boundaries are increasingly blurred, fragments its young characters’ evolution ad infinitum by following them step by step towards adulthood as a way to better dissect the mutations and metamorphoses of adolescence. Even if His Dark Materials identified puberty as a turning-point in the young protagonists’ process of growing up and construction of identity, it is significant that Pullman, who had already added a small companion book—entitled Lyra’s Oxford—to the trilogy’s literary universe, is still trying to explore the multiple dimensions of Lyra’s constantly shifting character: while book 1 of The Book of Dust, Pullman’s new trilogy, La Belle Sauvage (2017), is a prequel to His Dark Materials, which focuses on Lyra as a baby—before the action in Northern Lights takes place—, book 2, The Secret Commonwealth (2019), takes a closer look at Lyra once she has become a young woman, after her meeting with Will in His Dark Materials.

ОБРАЗ САТАНЫ В ПОЭМЕ ДЖ. МИЛЬТОНА "ПОТЕРЯННЫЙ РАЙ" И ТРИЛОГИИ Ф. ПУЛМАНА "ТЕМНЫЕ НАЧАЛА"

This article provides a comparative analysis of the portrayal of Satan in John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” and Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy, focusing on genetic and typological similarities. Drawing upon scholarly research and critical interpretations of the above works, it studies the multifaceted nature of Satan’s character. It also considers contrasting perspectives, thematic implications, and narrative strategies. The article analyzes narrative techniques and symbolic aspects related to the portrayal of Satan, highlighting the significance of these works in addressing moral and religious issues. The author contributes to a deeper understanding of the literary and philosophical aspects of tradition and innovation in the depiction of Satan, based on the analyzed literary works