Structural evolution of liquid silicates under conditions in Super-Earth interiors - Archive ouverte HAL
Article Dans Une Revue Nature Communications Année : 2024

Structural evolution of liquid silicates under conditions in Super-Earth interiors

Xuehui Wei
Wendy L Mao
Arianna E Gleason
Sang Heon Shim

Résumé

Molten silicates at depth are crucial for planetary evolution, yet their local structure and physical properties under extreme conditions remain elusive due to experimental challenges. In this study, we utilize in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) at the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) end-station of the Linear Coherent Linac Source (LCLS) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to investigate liquid silicates. Using an ultrabright X-ray source and a high-power optical laser, we probed the local atomic arrangement of shock-compressed liquid (Mg,Fe)SiO$_3$ with varying Fe content, at pressures from 81(9) to 385(40) GPa. We compared these findings to ab initio molecular dynamics simulations under similar conditions. Results indicate continuous densification of the O-O and Mg-Si networks beyond Earth's interior pressure range, potentially altering melt properties at extreme conditions. This could have significant implications for early planetary evolution, leading to notable differences in differentiation processes between smaller rocky planets, such as Earth and Venus, and super-Earths, which are exoplanets with masses nearly three times that of Earth.

Domaines

Géochimie
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
Morard_et_al-2024-Nature_Communications.pdf (1.62 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte

Dates et versions

hal-04724994 , version 1 (07-10-2024)

Identifiants

Citer

Guillaume Morard, Jean-Alexis Hernandez, Clara Pege, Charlotte Nagy, Lélia Libon, et al.. Structural evolution of liquid silicates under conditions in Super-Earth interiors. Nature Communications, 2024, 15 (1), pp.8483. ⟨10.1038/s41467-024-51796-7⟩. ⟨hal-04724994⟩
0 Consultations
0 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

More