MINERAL PHYSICS LABORATORY

In the Mineral Physics Laboratory, experiments to determine the thermochemical and elastic properties of planetary materials at ultrahigh pressure (up to 150 GPa) and temperature (up to 6000 K) are conducted. High P-T conditions are generated using the diamond anvil cell coupled with laser heating. Presently, both Raman and infrared spectroscopic facilities are available for characterization of the structural and bonding properties of minerals and fluids in situ at pressures and temperatures characteristic of planetary interiors. Additionally, a high intensity x-ray generator is used to determine the equations of state and phase equilibria of mineral assemblages relevant to the Earth's mantle and core. Finally, a transmission electron microscope is used to analyze crystal defects and for micro-phase identification.