Mineral physics of earth core: Iron alloys at extreme condition

Abstract

Mineral physics and high-pressure crystallography research provide crucial information on the enigmatic properties of the Earth's interior and is motivating multidisciplinary efforts to re-evaluate our understanding of the past and current states of the planet. We discuss the structures, melting temperatures, sound velocities of the dominant core-forming iron-nickel-light element alloys, as well as seismic anisotropy, thermal and chemical states of the Earth core in view of structural studies of iron-based alloys at multimegabar pressure range. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.