Structural investigation of iron, periclase and carbon at megabar pressures from static compression experiments using double-stage diamond anvil cell

• Applicant: Zuzana Konopkova, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics ; Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry ; Geophysics
• Term: from 2017 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 323116223

The aim of this proposal is to investigate structure of materials found in the interiors of rocky planets and exoplanets (Fe, MgO, C) by means of static compression and x-ray probes at unprecedented pressures and temperatures. By choosing Fe, MgO, and C we are focusing on one of the most difficult and controversial subjects of modern high-pressure physics and, beneficially, may resolve some of the planetary science problems. Within this project we will use the state-of-the-art techniques for generating pressures above 500 GPa at variable temperatures in double-stage Diamond anvil cell (dsDAC) coupled with High Energy Density (HED) instrument at the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL). This experimental setup is unique in accessing P-T conditions of the most remote planetary interiors and will open a new platform for testing our knowledge of physics governing the states of matter at extreme conditions. We propose to carry out pioneering experiments using this newly developed technique on the most planetary-relevant, but simple materials that will help to benchmark further efforts in this direction.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Leonid Dubrovinsky
• Cooperation Partner: Hanns-Peter Liermann, Ph.D.