Earth and Planetary Sciences

The PIs working in this area: Li Zhang

The composition and evolution of the earth and planets has great influence on the emergence and development of the life. However, information of the earth's deep interior and the planets cannot be accessed directly, since no borehole can be drilled more than twelve kilometer by present techniques, which is far less than the earth's six thousands kilometers radius, not to mention drilling a hole in the planets. The seismic analysis and aerospace exploration can provide us big pictures, while the detailed images can be depicted by the high pressure/ temperature experiments.

We utilize the diamond anvil cell and laser heating technique to generate high pressure and temperature, hereafter to simulate the environment of the Earth's deep interior and the planets. By the advanced probing techniques, such as synchrotron radiation, neutron diffraction, inelastic scattering, Mössbauer spectroscopy, Brillouin scattering, Raman spectroscopy, Infrared, resonant, ultrasonic and etc., the physical and chemical properties of minerals and materials can be thoroughly investigated under extreme condition. By studying the equation of state (EOS), phase transition, strength, elasticity, texture and spin transition, we can interpret the phenomenon such as the rheology of the Earth, the mantle convection, water and carbon cycle in the deep Earth, composition and state of the planets, seismic anisotropy of the Earth's core, deep Earthquakes and etc.

At HPSTAR, the research of the Earth and planetary science include (but not limited to) the following aspects:
 • The composition and structure of the interiors of the Earth and other terrestrial planets;
 • Single-crystal study at high pressures and temperatures;
 • The pressure-induced electronic spin-pairing transitions of iron and their associated effects on physical properties of host phases in lower-mantle minerals;
 • Carbon cycle in the Earth's deep interior;
 • The content and role of water and hydrous phases in the subducting slab and lower mantle;
 • Texture information of the materials and minerals under the mantle pressures;
 • Iron and iron alloys at Megbar pressures. Seismic anisotropy in the Earth's core;
 • Physical properties of materials at high pressure and temperature. phase transformations at high pressures and temperatures;
 • Structure and density of silicate liquids at high pressure and melting temperature determinations of silicates.