Related papers: High-temperature miscibility of iron and rock duri…
We explore phase equilbria on the MgO-Fe join as a prototype of lithophile-core interaction in terrestrial planets. Our simulations, based on density functional theory, are based on a two-phase method: fluids of initially pure MgO and Fe…
The formation of the giant planets in our solar system, and likely a majority of giant exoplanets, is commonly explained by the accretion of nebular hydrogen and helium onto a large core of terrestrial-like composition. The fate of this…
Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we calculate the physical properties of MgO at conditions extending from the ones encountered in the Earth mantle up to the ones anticipated in giant planet interiors such as Jupiter. We pay…
The pathway to forming the iron-rich planet Mercury remains mysterious. Mercury's core makes up 70% of the planetary mass, which implies a significant enrichment of iron relative to silicates, while its mantle is strongly depleted in…
Ascertaining rocky exoplanets dynamic evolution requires better understanding of key internal thermophysical processes that shaped their geological surfaces, heat fluxes, volatiles and atmospheric content. New high-pressure experiments on…
Exoplanets with masses similar to that of Earth have recently been discovered in extrasolar systems. A first order question for understanding their dynamics is to know whether they possess Earth like liquid metallic cores. However, the iron…
Rocky planets are thought to comprise compounds of Mg and O as these are among the most abundant elements, but knowledge of their stable phases may be incomplete. MgO is known to be remarkably stable to very high pressure and chemically…
The Earth's core consists of a solid ball with a radius of 1221 Km, surrounded by a liquid shell which extends up to 3480 Km from the centre of the planet, roughly half way towards the surface (the mean radius of the Earth is 6373 km). The…
We investigate the consequences of non-ideal mixing between silicate, iron metal, and hydrogen for the structures of the cores of sub-Neptunes with implications for super-Earths, warm Neptunes, and ice giants. A method of extrapolating what…
The moon-forming impact and the subsequent evolution of the proto-Earth is strongly dependent on the properties of materials at the extreme conditions generated by this violent collision. We examine the high pressure behavior of MgO, one of…
More than a third of all exoplanets can be classified as super-Earths based on radius (1-2 $R_{\bigoplus}$) and mass (< 10 $M_{\bigoplus}$). Here we model mass-radius relations based on silicate mantle and iron core equations of state to…
Several important geophysical features such as heat flux at the Core-Mantle Boundary or geodynamo production are intimately related with the temperature profile in the Earth's core. However, measuring the melting curve of iron at conditions…
The Earth acts as a gigantic heat engine driven by decay of radiogenic isotopes and slow cooling, which gives rise to plate tectonics, volcanoes, and mountain building. Another key product is the geomagnetic field, generated in the liquid…
We combine two first-principles computer simulation techniques, path integral Monte-Carlo and density functional theory molecular dynamics, to determine the equation of state of magnesium oxide in the regime of warm dense matter, with…
The present study takes the CoRoT-7b exoplanet as an analogue for massive terrestrial planets to investigate conditions, under which intrinsic magnetic fields could be sustained in liquid cores. We examine the effect of depth-dependent…
Many planets in the solar system and across the galaxy have hydrogen-rich atmospheres overlying more heavy element-rich interiors with which they interact for billions of years. Atmosphere-interior interactions are thus crucial to…
MgO is an abundant mineral in the rocky mantle of terrestrial planets, but its melting behaviors remain enigmatic. Here we introduce a simple theoretical model to investigate the B1-liquid transition of MgO up to 370 GPa. Vibrational free…
Accurate knowledge of the electrical and thermal conductivities and structural properties of hydrogen-helium mixtures under thermodynamic conditions within and beyond the immiscibility range is very important to predict the thermal…
In order to test planetary accretion and differentiation scenarios, we integrated a multistage core-mantle differentiation model with N-body accretion simulations. Impacts between embryos and planetesimals result in magma ocean formation…
Constraining the melting temperature of iron under Earth's inner core conditions is crucial for understanding core dynamics and planetary evolution. Here, we develop a deep potential (DP) model for iron that explicitly incorporates…