Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

In Situ Observations of Phase Changes in Shock Compressed Forsterite

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077996· OSTI ID:1493746
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [2];  [3];  [5];  [6];  [7]
  1. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States); Institute for Shock Physics
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
  4. Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
  5. Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Ithaca, NY (United States)
  6. Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
  7. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
Shockwave data on mineral–forming compounds such as Mg2SiO4 are essential for understanding the interiors of Earth and other planets, but correct interpretation of these data depends on knowing the phase assemblage being probed at high pressure. Furthermore, direct observations of the phase or phases making up the measured states along the forsterite Hugoniot are essential to assess whether kinetic factors inhibit the achievement of the expected equilibrium, phase–separated assemblage. Previous shock recovery experiments on forsterite, which has orthorhombic space group Pbnm, show discrepant results as to whether forsterite undergoes segregation into its equilibrium phase assemblage of compositionally distinct structures upon shock compression. Here we present the results of plate impact experiments on polycrystalline forsterite conducted at the Dynamic Compression Sector of the Advanced Photon Source. In situ X–ray diffraction measurements were used to probe the crystal structure(s) in the shock state and to investigate potential decomposition into periclase and bridgmanite. In contrast to previous interpretations of the forsterite shock Hugoniot, we find that forsterite does not decompose but instead reaches the forsterite III structure, which is a metastable structure of Mg2SiO4 with orthorhombic space group Cmc21.
Research Organization:
Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States). Institute for Shock Physics
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Programs (DP) (NA-10)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0002442
OSTI ID:
1493746
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1477111
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 45; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (30)

Synthesis of highly dense and fine-grained aggregates of mantle composites by vacuum sintering of nano-sized mineral powders journal January 2010
Liquidus phase relations in the system MgO–MgSiO3 at pressures up to 25 GPa—constraints on crystallization of a molten Hadean mantle journal April 1998
Transport properties of Mg2SiO4 liquid at high pressure: Physical state of a magma ocean journal December 2011
Thermodynamics of the MgO–SiO2 liquid system in Earth's lowermost mantle from first principles journal January 2013
Thermodynamics, structure, dynamics, and freezing of Mg2SiO4 liquid at high pressure journal March 2008
Experimentally determined postspinel transformation boundary in Mg 2 SiO 4 using MgO as an internal pressure standard and its geophysical implications : POSTSPINEL TRANSFORMATION IN MG journal February 2004
Shock-compressed MgSiO 3 glass, enstatite, olivine, and quartz: Optical emission, temperatures, and melting : SHOCK TEMPERATURE AND MELTING OF SILICATES journal May 2004
Thermodynamic properties of Mg 2 SiO 4 liquid at ultra-high pressures from shock measurements to 200 GPa on forsterite and wadsleyite journal January 2007
Pressure-volume-temperature relations in MgO: An ultrahigh pressure-temperature scale for planetary sciences applications journal January 2008
Unified analyses for P - V - T equation of state of MgO: A solution for pressure-scale problems in high P - T experiments journal January 2009
Sound velocities at high pressure and temperature and their geophysical implications journal January 1992
Shock temperature measurements in Mg 2 SiO 4 and SiO 2 at high pressures journal February 1980
Shock wave compression of single-crystal forsterite journal January 1979
Shock effects in olivine and implications for Hugoniot data journal January 1980
Shock compression measurements of single-crystal forsterite in the pressure range 15-93 GPa journal July 1981
Shock compression of single-crystal forsterite journal November 1983
Theoretical and experimental evidence for a post-perovskite phase of MgSiO3 in Earth's D″ layer journal July 2004
Ultrafast visualization of crystallization and grain growth in shock-compressed SiO2 journal September 2015
Erratum: Ultrafast visualization of crystallization and grain growth in shock-compressed SiO2 journal October 2015
Experimental evidence for a phase transition in magnesium oxide at exoplanet pressures journal September 2013
Compact system for high-speed velocimetry using heterodyne techniques journal August 2006
Gas gun shock experiments with single-pulse x-ray phase contrast imaging and diffraction at the Advanced Photon Source journal July 2012
Determining the refractive index of shocked [100] lithium fluoride to the limit of transmissibility journal July 2014
High-pressure nanocrystalline structure of a shock-compressed single crystal of iron journal December 2008
Self-consistent thermodynamic description of silicate liquids, with application to shock melting of MgO periclase and MgSiO 3 perovskite journal July 2009
Post-Perovskite Phase Transition in MgSiO3 journal May 2004
Low Core-Mantle Boundary Temperature Inferred from the Solidus of Pyrolite journal January 2014
Association Reaction in Forsterite Under Shock Compression journal October 1981
A measure of mantle melting journal March 2017
Phase transitions and equation of state of forsterite to 90 GPa from single-crystal X-ray diffraction and molecular modeling journal January 2014

Cited By (1)

Direct observation of the hcp-bcc phase transition and melting along the principal Hugoniot of Mg journal January 2020

Similar Records

Femtosecond X-ray Diffraction of Laser-shocked Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) to 122 GPa
Journal Article · Thu Dec 03 19:00:00 EST 2020 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth · OSTI ID:1730937

The Principal Hugoniot of Forsterite to 950 GPa
Journal Article · Thu Apr 26 20:00:00 EDT 2018 · Geophysical Research Letters · OSTI ID:1444087