Effects of iron on the lattice thermal conductivity of Earth's deep mantle and implications for mantle dynamics.

Iron may critically influence the physical properties and thermochemical structures of Earth's lower mantle. Its effects on thermal conductivity, with possible consequences on heat transfer and mantle dynamics, however, remain largely unknown. We measured the lattice thermal conductivity of lower-mantle ferropericlase to 120 GPa using the ultrafast optical pump-probe technique in a diamond anvil cell. The thermal conductivity of ferropericlase with 56% iron significantly drops by a factor of 1.8 across the spin transition around 53 GPa, while that with 8-10% iron increases monotonically with pressure, causing an enhanced iron substitution effect in the low-spin state. Combined with bridgmanite data, modeling of our results provides a self-consistent radial profile of lower-mantle thermal conductivity, which is dominated by pressure, temperature, and iron effects, and shows a twofold increase from top to bottom of the lower mantle. Such increase in thermal conductivity may delay the cooling of the core, while its decrease with iron content may enhance the dynamics of large low shear-wave velocity provinces. Our findings further show that, if hot and strongly enriched in iron, the seismic ultralow velocity zones have exceptionally low conductivity, thus delaying their cooling.

Self-diffusion of protons in H2O ice VII at high pressures: Anomaly around 10 GPa.

The self-diffusion of ice VII in the pressure range of 5.5-17 GPa and temperature range of 400-425 K was studied using micro Raman spectroscopy and a diamond anvil cell. The diffusion was monitored by observing the distribution of isotope tracers: D2O and H2 (18)O. The diffusion coefficient of hydrogen reached a maximum value around 10 GPa. It was two orders of magnitude greater at 10 GPa than at 6 GPa. Hydrogen diffusion was much faster than oxygen diffusion, which indicates that protonic diffusion is the dominant mechanism for the diffusion of hydrogen in ice VII. This mechanism is in remarkable contrast to the self-diffusion in ice Ih that is dominated by an interstitial mechanism for the whole water molecule. An anomaly around 10 GPa in ice VII indicates that the rate-determining process for the proton diffusion changes from the diffusion of ionic defects to the diffusion of rotational defects, which was suggested by proton conductivity measurements and molecular dynamics simulations.

X-ray free electron laser observation of ultrafast lattice behaviour under femtosecond laser-driven shock compression in iron.

Over the past century, understanding the nature of shock compression of condensed matter has been a major topic. About 20 years ago, a femtosecond laser emerged as a new shock-driver. Unlike conventional shock waves, a femtosecond laser-driven shock wave creates unique microstructures in materials. Therefore, the properties of this shock wave may be different from those of conventional shock waves. However, the lattice behaviour under femtosecond laser-driven shock compression has never been elucidated. Here we report the ultrafast lattice behaviour in iron shocked by direct irradiation of a femtosecond laser pulse, diagnosed using X-ray free electron laser diffraction. We found that the initial compression state caused by the femtosecond laser-driven shock wave is the same as that caused by conventional shock waves. We also found, for the first time experimentally, the temporal deviation of peaks of stress and strain waves predicted theoretically. Furthermore, the existence of a plastic wave peak between the stress and strain wave peaks is a new finding that has not been predicted even theoretically. Our findings will open up new avenues for designing novel materials that combine strength and toughness in a trade-off relationship.

X-ray Raman scattering study of MgSiO3 glass at high pressure: implication for triclustered MgSiO3 melt in Earth's mantle.

Silicate melts at the top of the transition zone and the core-mantle boundary have significant influences on the dynamics and properties of Earth's interior. MgSiO3-rich silicate melts were among the primary components of the magma ocean and thus played essential roles in the chemical differentiation of the early Earth. Diverse macroscopic properties of silicate melts in Earth's interior, such as density, viscosity, and crystal-melt partitioning, depend on their electronic and short-range local structures at high pressures and temperatures. Despite essential roles of silicate melts in many geophysical and geodynamic problems, little is known about their nature under the conditions of Earth's interior, including the densification mechanisms and the atomistic origins of the macroscopic properties at high pressures. Here, we have probed local electronic structures of MgSiO3 glass (as a precursor to Mg-silicate melts), using high-pressure x-ray Raman spectroscopy up to 39 GPa, in which high-pressure oxygen K-edge features suggest the formation of tricluster oxygens (oxygen coordinated with three Si frameworks; 3O) between 12 and 20 GPa. Our results indicate that the densification in MgSiO3 melt is thus likely to be accompanied with the formation of triculster, in addition to a reduction in nonbridging oxygens. The pressure-induced increase in the fraction of oxygen triclusters >20 GPa would result in enhanced density, viscosity, and crystal-melt partitioning, and reduced element diffusivity in the MgSiO3 melt toward deeper part of the Earth's lower mantle.

Ultrafast olivine-ringwoodite transformation during shock compression.

Meteorites from interplanetary space often include high-pressure polymorphs of their constituent minerals, which provide records of past hypervelocity collisions. These collisions were expected to occur between kilometre-sized asteroids, generating transient high-pressure states lasting for several seconds to facilitate mineral transformations across the relevant phase boundaries. However, their mechanisms in such a short timescale were never experimentally evaluated and remained speculative. Here, we show a nanosecond transformation mechanism yielding ringwoodite, which is the most typical high-pressure mineral in meteorites. An olivine crystal was shock-compressed by a focused high-power laser pulse, and the transformation was time-resolved by femtosecond diffractometry using an X-ray free electron laser. Our results show the formation of ringwoodite through a faster, diffusionless process, suggesting that ringwoodite can form from collisions between much smaller bodies, such as metre to submetre-sized asteroids, at common relative velocities. Even nominally unshocked meteorites could therefore contain signatures of high-pressure states from past collisions.

Strong hydrogen bonding in a dense hydrous magnesium silicate discovered by neutron Laue diffraction.

A large amount of hydrogen circulates inside the Earth, which affects the long-term evolution of the planet. The majority of this hydrogen is stored in deep Earth within the crystal structures of dense minerals that are thermodynamically stable at high pressures and temperatures. To understand the reason for their stability under such extreme conditions, the chemical bonding geometry and cation exchange mechanism for including hydrogen were analyzed in a representative structure of such minerals (i.e. phase E of dense hydrous magnesium silicate) by using time-of-flight single-crystal neutron Laue diffraction. Phase E has a layered structure belonging to the space group R 3 m and a very large hydrogen capacity (up to 18% H2O weight fraction). It is stable at pressures of 13-18 GPa and temperatures of up to at least 1573 K. Deuterated high-quality crystals with the chemical formula Mg2.28Si1.32D2.15O6 were synthesized under the relevant high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. The nuclear density distribution obtained by neutron diffraction indicated that the O-D dipoles were directed towards neighboring O2- ions to form strong interlayer hydrogen bonds. This bonding plays a crucial role in stabilizing hydrogen within the mineral structure under such high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. It is considered that cation exchange occurs among Mg2+, D+ and Si4+ within this structure, making the hydrogen capacity flexible.

Degree of Permanent Densification in Oxide Glasses upon Extreme Compression up to 24 GPa at Room Temperature.

During the decompression of plastically deformed glasses at room temperature, some aspects of irreversible densification may be preserved. This densification has been primarily attributed to topological changes in glass networks. The changes in short-range structures like cation coordination numbers are often assumed to be relaxed upon decompression. Here the NMR results for aluminosilicate glass upon permanent densification up to 24 GPa reveal noticeable changes in the Al coordination number under pressure conditions as low as ∼6 GPa. A drastic increase in the highly coordinated Al fraction is evident over only a relatively narrow pressure range of up to ∼12 GPa, above which the coordination change becomes negligible up to 24 GPa. In contrast, Si coordination environments do not change, highlighting preferential coordination transformation during deformation. The observed trend in the coordination environment shows a remarkable similarity to the pressure-induced changes in the residual glass density, yielding a predictive relationship between the irreversible densification and the detailed structures under extreme compression. The results open a way to access the nature of plastic deformation in complex glasses at room temperature.

Precometary organic matter: A hidden reservoir of water inside the snow line.

The origin and evolution of solar system bodies, including water on the Earth, have been discussed based on the assumption that the relevant ingredients were simply silicates and ices. However, large amounts of organic matter have been found in cometary and interplanetary dust, which are recognized as remnants of interstellar/precometary grains. Precometary organic matter may therefore be a potential source of water; however, to date, there have been no experimental investigations into this possibility. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that abundant water and oil are formed via the heating of a precometary-organic-matter analog under conditions appropriate for the parent bodies of meteorites inside the snow line. This implies that H2O ice is not required as the sole source of water on planetary bodies inside the snow line. Further, we can explain the change in the oxidation state of the Earth from an initially reduced state to a final oxidized state. Our study also suggests that petroleum was present in the asteroids and is present in icy satellites and dwarf planets.

Quasielastic neutron scattering of brucite to analyse hydrogen transport on the atomic scale.

It is demonstrated that quasielastic neutron scattering is a novel and effective method to analyse atomic scale hydrogen transport processes occurring within a mineral crystal lattice. The method was previously characterized as sensitive for analysing the transport frequency and distance of highly diffusive hydrogen atoms or water molecules in condensed matter. Here are shown the results of its application to analyse the transport of much slower hydrogen atoms which are bonded into a crystal lattice as hydroxyls. Two types of hydrogen transport process were observed in brucite, Mg(OH)2: a jump within a single two-dimensional layer of the hydrogen lattice and a jump into the next nearest layer of it. These transport processes observed within the prototypical structure of brucite have direct implications for hydrogen transport phenomena occurring within various types of oxides and minerals having layered structures.

A new high-pressure form of Mg2SiO4 highlighting diffusionless phase transitions of olivine.

High-pressure polymorphism of olivine (α-phase of Mg2SiO4) is of particular interest for geophysicists aiming to understand the structure and dynamics of the Earth's interior because of olivine's prominent abundance in the upper mantle. Therefore, natural and synthetic olivine polymorphs have been actively studied in the past half century. Here, we report a new high-pressure polymorph, the ε*-phase, which was discovered in a heavily shocked meteorite. It occurs as nanoscale lamellae and has a topotaxial relationship with the host ringwoodite (γ-phase of Mg2SiO4). Olivine in the host rock entrapped in a shock-induced melt vein initially transformed into polycrystalline ringwoodite through a nucleation and growth mechanism. The ringwoodite grains then coherently converted into the ε*-phase by shear transformation during subsequent pressure release. This intermediate metastable phase can be formed by all Mg2SiO4 polymorphs via a shear transformation mechanism. Here, we propose high-pressure transformations of olivine that are enhanced by diffusionless processes, not only in shocked meteorites but also in thick and cold lithosphere subducting into the deep Earth.

Hydrogenation of iron in the early stage of Earth's evolution.

Density of the Earth's core is lower than that of pure iron and the light element(s) in the core is a long-standing problem. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the solar system and thus one of the important candidates. However, the dissolution process of hydrogen into iron remained unclear. Here we carry out high-pressure and high-temperature in situ neutron diffraction experiments and clarify that when the mixture of iron and hydrous minerals are heated, iron is hydrogenized soon after the hydrous mineral is dehydrated. This implies that early in the Earth's evolution, as the accumulated primordial material became hotter, the dissolution of hydrogen into iron occurred before any other materials melted. This suggests that hydrogen is likely the first light element dissolved into iron during the Earth's evolution and it may affect the behaviour of the other light elements in the later processes.

Dynamic fracture of tantalum under extreme tensile stress.

The understanding of fracture phenomena of a material at extremely high strain rates is a key issue for a wide variety of scientific research ranging from applied science and technological developments to fundamental science such as laser-matter interaction and geology. Despite its interest, its study relies on a fine multiscale description, in between the atomic scale and macroscopic processes, so far only achievable by large-scale atomic simulations. Direct ultrafast real-time monitoring of dynamic fracture (spallation) at the atomic lattice scale with picosecond time resolution was beyond the reach of experimental techniques. We show that the coupling between a high-power optical laser pump pulse and a femtosecond x-ray probe pulse generated by an x-ray free electron laser allows detection of the lattice dynamics in a tantalum foil at an ultrahigh strain rate of [Formula: see text] ~2 × 108 to 3.5 × 108 s-1. A maximal density drop of 8 to 10%, associated with the onset of spallation at a spall strength of ~17 GPa, was directly measured using x-ray diffraction. The experimental results of density evolution agree well with large-scale atomistic simulations of shock wave propagation and fracture of the sample. Our experimental technique opens a new pathway to the investigation of ultrahigh strain-rate phenomena in materials at the atomic scale, including high-speed crack dynamics and stress-induced solid-solid phase transitions.

A Peltier cooling diamond anvil cell for low-temperature Raman spectroscopic measurements.

A new cooling system using Peltier modules is presented for a low-temperature diamond anvil cell instrument. This cooling system has many advantages: it is vibration-free, low-cost, and compact. It consists of double-stacked Peltier modules and heat sinks, where a cooled ethylene glycol-water mixture flows through a chiller. Current is applied to the Peltier modules by two programmable DC power supplies. Sample temperature can be controlled within the range 210-300 K with a precision of ±0.1 K via a Proportional-Integral-Differential (PID) control loop. A Raman spectroscopic study for the H2O ice VII-VIII transition is shown as an example of an application of the Peltier cooling diamond anvil cell system.

Quantitative analysis of hydrogen sites and occupancy in deep mantle hydrous wadsleyite using single crystal neutron diffraction.

Evidence from seismological and mineralogical studies increasingly indicates that water from the oceans has been transported to the deep earth to form water-bearing dense mantle minerals. Wadsleyite [(Mg, Fe2+)2SiO4] has been identified as one of the most important host minerals incorporating this type of water, which is capable of storing the entire mass of the oceans as a hidden reservoir. To understand the effects of such water on the physical properties and chemical evolution of Earth's interior, it is essential to determine where in the crystal structure the hydration occurs and which chemical bonds are altered and weakened after hydration. Here, we conduct a neutron time-of-flight single-crystal Laue diffraction study on hydrous wadsleyite. Single crystals were grown under pressure to a size suitable for the experiment and with physical qualities representative of wet, deep mantle conditions. The results of this neutron single crystal diffraction study unambiguously demonstrate the method of hydrogen incorporation into the wadsleyite, which is qualitatively different from that of its denser polymorph, ringwoodite, in the wet mantle. The difference is a vital clue towards understanding why these dense mantle minerals show distinctly different softening behaviours after hydration.

Elasticity of Ferropericlase across the Spin Crossover in the Earth's Lower Mantle.

Knowing the elasticity of ferropericlase across the spin transition can help explain seismic and mineralogical models of the lower-mantle including the origin of seismic heterogeneities in the middle to lowermost parts of the lower mantle. However, the effects of spin transition on full elastic constants of ferropericlase remain experimentally controversial due to technical challenges in directly measuring sound velocities under lower-mantle conditions. Here we have reliably measured both VP and VS of a single-crystal ferropericlase ((Mg0.92,Fe0.08)O) using complementary Brillouin Light Scattering and Impulsive Stimulated Light Scattering coupled with a diamond anvil cell up to 96 GPa. The derived elastic constants show drastically softened C11 and C12 within the spin transition at 40-60 GPa while C44 is not affected. The spin transition is associated with a significant reduction of the aggregate VP/VS via the aggregate VP softening because VS softening does not visibly occur within the transition. Based on thermoelastic modelling along an expected geotherm, the spin crossover in ferropericlase can contribute to 2% reduction in VP/VS in a pyrolite mineralogical model in mid lower-mantle. Our results imply that the middle to lowermost parts of the lower-mantle would exhibit enhanced seismic heterogeneities due to the occurrence of the mixed-spin and low-spin ferropericlase.

Hydrogen bonding and dynamics of methanol by high-pressure diamond-anvil cell NMR.

Liquid methanol at densities up to rhorho(0) = 1.7 was studied by NMR in a specially designed diamond-anvil cell. Methyl and hydroxyl resonances have been separately observed at pressures to 43 kbars which exceeds equilibrium freezing pressure of methanol. The chemical shift difference between methyl and hydroxyl protons increases nonlinearly with increasing density, indicating a noticeable decrease in hydrogen bond length. The analyses of spin-lattice relaxation rates of both hydroxyl and methyl protons indicate that compression enhances intermolecular proton exchange and selectively reduces motion of the hydroxyl protons. Collectively these observations reveal that hydrogen bonding interaction in liquid methanol noticeably increases with compression, inhibiting the liquid-solid transition even above the freezing pressure.