Experimental Studies of Earth Materials at Extreme Pressure and Temperature Conditions of Planetary Interiors

行星是如何运行的？行星内部深处的大规模过程控制着表面上发生的大部分事情。例如，地核内部和地幔之间的热量和质量流动导致板块运动、地震，并产生保护我们生命的磁场。类地行星的核心，如地球、水星、金星、火星以及木星的卫星木卫一和木卫三，主要由铁（Fe）和~10-20wt%的其他轻元素(如硫（S)和/或硅（Si））组成。我们对核心模拟材料的物理和化学性质的了解，对于提高我们对这些行星体内部热量和质量流动的综合全球过程的理解至关重要。我的研究重点是高压(P)，温度(T)实验研究的材料的物理化学性质在行星内部深处。我们通过在四个大型压力机中同时在极端P （23GPa）和T （2300K）条件下测量地核和地幔材料的性质，将难以进入的行星深层内部带入实验室。我的团队将采用我们实验室开发的新技术来测量核心（Fe-S-Si）和地幔（蛇纹岩、橄榄石）材料的粘度、导电性和导热性、密度和声学特性。我们的短期目标是回答以下问题：铁- s和铁- si是否在核心中？这些双星系统的导电性和导热性是多少？溶质是否会影响这些对地核过程非常重要的性质，如地球动力学和类地天体的传导热流？铀能溶解在铁中，成为地核中可能的能量来源，帮助驱动地球的热机吗？深层地震是由矿物相变引发的吗？这些关于行星物质微观行为的问题的答案，有助于更好地理解它们所控制的宏观过程，并有助于解释行星是如何工作的。拟进行的工作将涉及1名PDF， 8名博士，2名硕士和2名理学士学生，1名研究助理和7名技术人员。我的HQP将接受实验高P、T矿物物理的广泛培训，这将为他们在学术、政府和私营部门的就业做好准备。

How do planets work? Large scale processes deep in the interior of planets control much of what happens on the surface. For example, heat and mass flow within and from Earth's core through the mantle causes plate motions, earthquakes, and generates our life-protecting magnetic field. The cores of terrestrial-like planetary bodies, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter's moons Io and Ganymede, are composed mainly of iron (Fe) with ~10-20wt% of other lighter elements such as sulfur (S) and/or silicon (Si). Our knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of core mimetic materials is central to improving our understanding of the integrated global processes of heat and mass flow inside these planetary bodies. My research focuses on high pressure (P), temperature (T) experimental studies of the physico-chemical properties of the materials deep in planetary interiors. We bring the inaccessible deep interior of planets into the lab by measuring properties of core and mantle materials under simultaneous extreme P (23GPa) and T (2300K) conditions in four large volume presses. My team will employ novel techniques developed in our lab to measure viscosity, electrical and thermal conductivity, density, and acoustic properties of core (Fe-S-Si) and mantle (serpentinite, olivine) materials. Our short term goals are to answer questions such as: Are Fe-S and Fe-Si in the core? What are the electrical and thermal conductivities of these binary systems? Does the solute affect these properties which are so important for core processes such as the geodynamo and conductive heat flow in terrestrial-like bodies? Can uranium dissolve in Fe and be a possible energy source in the core that helps drive Earth's heat engine? Are deep earthquakes triggered by mineral phase transitions? Answers to these questions on the micro-scale behaviour of planetary materials lead to a better understanding of the macro-scale processes that they control and help explain how planets work. The proposed work will involve 1 PDF, 8 PhD, 2 MSc and 2 BSc students, 1 research assistant and 7 technical personnel. My HQP will receive extensive training in experimental high P,T mineral physics which will prepare them for employment in academic, government and private sectors.