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Title: Opacity and conductivity measurements in noble gases at conditions of planetary and stellar interiors

Abstract

The noble gases are elements of broad importance across science and technology, and are primary constituents of planetary and stellar atmospheres, where they segregate into droplets or layers that affect the thermal, chemical, and structural evolution of their host body. We have measured the optical properties of noble gases at relevant high pressures and temperatures in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell, observing insulator-to-conductor transformations in dense helium, neon, argon, and xenon at 4,000 to 15,000 K and pressures of 15-52 GPa. The thermal activation and frequency-dependence of conduction reveal an optical character dominated by electrons of low mobility, as in an amorphous semiconductor or poor metal, rather than free electrons as is often assumed for such wide band gap insulators at high temperatures. White dwarf stars having helium outer atmospheres cool slower and may have different color than if atmospheric opacity were controlled by free-electrons. As a result, helium rain in Jupiter and Saturn becomes conducting at conditions well correlated with increased solubility in metallic hydrogen, while a deep layer of insulating neon may inhibit core erosion in Saturn.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015,, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom,, Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom,, Departamento de Geociencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá DC, Colombia,, Department of Mathematics, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059,
  2. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015,
  3. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron Photon Science, 22607 Hamburg, Germany,
  4. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015,, Department of Mathematics, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059,
  5. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015,, Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C. (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1235152
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1335154
Grant/Contract Number:  
FC52-08NA28554; EFREE; Instrumentation grant; NA0002006
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Volume: 112 Journal Issue: 26; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; rare gases; extreme conditions; warm dense matter; giant planet; white dwarf

Citation Formats

McWilliams, R. Stewart, Dalton, D. Allen, Konôpková, Zuzana, Mahmood, Mohammad F., and Goncharov, Alexander F. Opacity and conductivity measurements in noble gases at conditions of planetary and stellar interiors. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1073/pnas.1421801112.
McWilliams, R. Stewart, Dalton, D. Allen, Konôpková, Zuzana, Mahmood, Mohammad F., & Goncharov, Alexander F. Opacity and conductivity measurements in noble gases at conditions of planetary and stellar interiors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1421801112
McWilliams, R. Stewart, Dalton, D. Allen, Konôpková, Zuzana, Mahmood, Mohammad F., and Goncharov, Alexander F. Tue . "Opacity and conductivity measurements in noble gases at conditions of planetary and stellar interiors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1421801112.
@article{osti_1235152,
title = {Opacity and conductivity measurements in noble gases at conditions of planetary and stellar interiors},
author = {McWilliams, R. Stewart and Dalton, D. Allen and Konôpková, Zuzana and Mahmood, Mohammad F. and Goncharov, Alexander F.},
abstractNote = {The noble gases are elements of broad importance across science and technology, and are primary constituents of planetary and stellar atmospheres, where they segregate into droplets or layers that affect the thermal, chemical, and structural evolution of their host body. We have measured the optical properties of noble gases at relevant high pressures and temperatures in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell, observing insulator-to-conductor transformations in dense helium, neon, argon, and xenon at 4,000 to 15,000 K and pressures of 15-52 GPa. The thermal activation and frequency-dependence of conduction reveal an optical character dominated by electrons of low mobility, as in an amorphous semiconductor or poor metal, rather than free electrons as is often assumed for such wide band gap insulators at high temperatures. White dwarf stars having helium outer atmospheres cool slower and may have different color than if atmospheric opacity were controlled by free-electrons. As a result, helium rain in Jupiter and Saturn becomes conducting at conditions well correlated with increased solubility in metallic hydrogen, while a deep layer of insulating neon may inhibit core erosion in Saturn.},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.1421801112},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
number = 26,
volume = 112,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jun 16 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Jun 16 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1421801112

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Cited by: 43 works
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