Related papers: Origin of superionic state in Earth's inner core
We investigate the effect of pressure, temperature and acidity on the composition of water-rich carbon-bearing fluids at thermodynamic conditions that correspond to the Earth's deep Crust and Upper Mantle. Our first-principles molecular…
Electrides are unique compounds where most of the electrons reside at interstitial regions of the crystal behaving as anions, which strongly determines its physical properties. Interestingly, the magnitude and distribution of interstitial…
Strong ionization on close-in extrasolar giant planets suggests that their atmospheres may be affected by ion drag and resistive heating arising from wind-driven electrodynamics. Recent models of ion drag on these planets, however, are…
Linear stability analysis indicates that solar core is thermally stable for infinitesimal internal perturbations. For the first time, thermal metastabilities are found in the solar core when outer perturbations with significant amplitude…
Models based on variable miscibility among hydrogen, molten silicate, and molten iron, coupled with atmospheric escape, can reproduce the observed occurrence density structure of sub-Neptunes and super-Earths in mass-radius space. The…
In conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superconductors, superconductivity occurs when electrons form coherent Cooper pairs below the superconducting transition temperature Tc. Although the kinetic energy of paired electrons…
From flow without dissipation of energy to the formation of vortices when placed within a rotating container, the superfluid state of matter has proven to be a very interesting physical phenomenon. Here we present the key mechanisms behind…
The transport properties (electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and viscosity) of iron-hydrogen alloys are of great significance in the stability and evolution of planetary magnetic fields. Here, we investigate the thermal transport…
We study superconductivity in the superionic phase of the clathrate hydride Li$_2$MgH$_{16}$, where hydrogen ions diffuse among the lattice formed by lithium and magnesium ions. By employing the stochastic path-integral approach, we…
This article describes condensation of the elements and use of condensation temperatures (Tcond) to interpret the volatility trend of the Earth. Major points are: (1) a listing of updated 50% Tcond for all natural elements and Pu at 1e-2 to…
Terrestrial planets in the solar system, such as the Earth, are oxygen-rich, with silicates and iron being the most common minerals in their interiors. However, the true chemical diversity of rocky planets orbiting other stars is yet…
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…
Hydrogen-helium mixtures at conditions of Jupiter's interior are studied with first-principles computer simulations. The resulting equation of state (EOS) implies that Jupiter possesses a central core of 14-18 Earth masses of heavier…
Electrides are unique materials because of the existence of interstitial anionic electrons (IAEs). Due to these loosely bound IAEs and their strong interaction with the framework of cations, electrides can host superconductivity with rather…
Matter under irradiation may enter unusual transient states, outside of its equilibrium phase diagram. One of such states is a superionic-like state, in which one sublattice of a compound liquifies, whereas another one remains solid. Here,…
Stably stratified layers are present in stellar interiors (radiative zones) as well as planetary interiors - recent observations and theoretical studies of the Earth's magnetic field seem to indicate the presence of a thin, stably…
Superconductivity is a remarkably widespread phenomenon observed in most metals cooled down to very low temperatures. The ubiquity of such conventional superconductors, and the wide range of associated critical temperatures, is readily…
Earth's geodynamo has operated for over 3.5 billion years. The magnetic field is currently powered by thermocompositional convection in the outer core, which involves the release of light elements and latent heat as the inner core…
A new approach based on macro-orbital representation of a conduction electron in a solid has been used to discover some untouched aspects of the phonon induced attraction between two electrons and to lay the basic foundations of a general…
Pluto has been observed by the New Horizons space probe to have some relatively fresh ice on the old ices covering most of the surface. Pluto was thought to consist of only a rocky core below the ice. Here I show that Pluto can have an iron…