X-ray diffraction of γ-Fe at high temperatures and pressures

Abstract

Wire heating in diamond-anvil cells has been used to measure the pressure, temperature, resistance, and x-ray diffraction patterns of γ-Fe at pressures to 42 GPa and temperatures to 2340 K. The results can be described by a bulk modulus, K=127±8 GPa+2.2 (P/GPa). Extrapolation of these results to conditions of the earth's core yields a density in good agreement with shock compression and of about 15% higher than estimates of the preliminary reference earth model.