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The melting behavior and transport properties of MgSiO₃ at multi-megabar pressures remain poorly constrained despite their importance for high-pressure silicate physics. Here we report the first direct measurements of temperature and optical reflectivity in shock-compressed bridgmanite (MgSiO₃) using laser-driven decaying shock compression combined with velocimetry and optical pyrometry. Temperature and reflectivity data spanning approximately 4000–60 000 K were used to constrain the MgSiO₃ melting curve and to infer its electrical conductivity. We find that the MgSiO₃ melting curve becomes shallower than that of iron above 400 GPa, yielding lower melting temperatures in planetary mantles than predicted by several previous theoreticalmore » estimates. Across the solid-liquid transition, the inferred electrical conductivity increases significantly, reaching ∼2000 Ω cm⁻¹. These results provide experimental benchmarks for theoretical models of silicate melting and transport under extreme pressure-temperature conditions.« less

Understanding the behavior of matter at extreme pressures of the order of a megabar (Mbar) is essential to gain insight into various physical phenomena at macroscales—the formation of planets, young stars, and the cores of super-Earths, and at microscales—damage to ceramic materials and high-pressure plastic transformation and phase transitions in solids. Under dynamic compression of solids up to Mbar pressures, even a solid with high strength exhibits plastic properties, causing the induced shock wave to split in two: an elastic precursor and a plastic shock wave. This phenomenon is described by theoretical models based on indirect measurements of material response.more » The advent of x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has made it possible to use their ultrashort pulses for direct observations of the propagation of shock waves in solid materials by the method of phase-contrast radiography. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive data for verification of theoretical models of different solids. Here, we present the results of an experiment in which the evolution of the coupled elastic–plastic wave structure in diamond was directly observed and studied with submicrometer spatial resolution, using the unique capabilities of the x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL). The direct measurements allowed, for the first time, the fitting and validation of the 2D failure model for diamond in the range of several Mbar. Our experimental approach opens new possibilities for the direct verification and construction of equations of state of matter in the ultra-high-stress range, which are relevant to solving a variety of problems in high-energy-density physics.« less

Meteorites from interplanetary space often include high-pressure polymorphs of their constituent minerals, which provide records of past hypervelocity collisions. These collisions were expected to occur between kilometre-sized asteroids, generating transient high-pressure states lasting for several seconds to facilitate mineral transformations across the relevant phase boundaries. However, their mechanisms in such a short timescale were never experimentally evaluated and remained speculative. Here, we show a nanosecond transformation mechanism yielding ringwoodite, which is the most typical high-pressure mineral in meteorites. An olivine crystal was shock-compressed by a focused high-power laser pulse, and the transformation was time-resolved by femtosecond diffractometry using an X-raymore » free electron laser. Our results show the formation of ringwoodite through a faster, diffusionless process, suggesting that ringwoodite can form from collisions between much smaller bodies, such as metre to submetre-sized asteroids, at common relative velocities. Even nominally unshocked meteorites could therefore contain signatures of high-pressure states from past collisions.« less

We measured the effect of pressure on the compressional and shear wave velocity (V_P, V_S) as well as density of Fe-bearing bridgmanite, Mg_0.96(1)Fe²⁺_0.036(5)Fe³⁺_0.014(5)Si_0.99(1)O₃, using impulsive stimulated light scattering, Brillouin light scattering, and X-ray diffraction, respectively, in diamond anvil cells up to 70 GPa at 300 K. A drastic softening of V_P by ~6(±1)% is observed between 42.6 and 58 GPa, while V_S increases continuously with increasing pressure. A significant reduction in Poisson's ratio from 0.24 to 0.16 occurs at ~42.6–58 GPa, while VS increases by ~3(±1)% above ~40 GPa compared to MgSiO_3-bridgmanite. Thermoelastic modeling of the experimental results shows thatmore » the observed elastic anomaly of Fe-bearing bridgmanite is consistent with a spin transition of octahedrally coordinated Fe³⁺ in bridgmanite. These results challenge traditional views that Fe enrichment will reduce seismic velocities, suggesting that seismic heterogeneities in the mid-lower mantle may be due to a spin transition of Fe in Fe-bearing bridgmanite.« less

Ringwoodite [(Mg,Fe²⁺)₂SiO₄ spinel] has been considered as one of the most important host minerals of water in the Earth's deep mantle. Its extensive hydration was observed in high-pressure synthesis experiments and also by its natural occurrence. Water can dissolve into ringwoodite as structurally bound hydrogen cations by substituting other cations, although the hydrogen site and its occupancy remain unclear. In this study, neutron time-of-flight single-crystal Laue diffraction analysis was carried out for synthetic hydrous ringwoodite. Hydrogen cations were found only in the sites in MgO₆ octahedra in the ringwoodite structure, which compensated the reduced occupancies of both magnesium and siliconmore » cations. The refined cation occupancies suggest that the most plausible hydration mechanism is that three hydrogen cations simultaneously occupy an MgO₆ octahedron, whereas four such hydrogenated octahedra surround a vacant SiO₄ tetrahedron.« less

Complex seismic, thermal, and chemical features have been reported in Earth's lowermost mantle. In particular, possible iron enrichments in the large low shear–wave velocity provinces (LLSVPs) could influence thermal transport properties of the constituting minerals in this region, altering the lower mantle dynamics and heat flux across core–mantle boundary (CMB). Thermal conductivity of bridgmanite is expected to partially control the thermal evolution and dynamics of Earth's lower mantle. Importantly, the pressure–induced lattice distortion and iron spin and valence states in bridgmanite could affect its lattice thermal conductivity, but these effects remain largely unknown. Here we precisely measured the lattice thermalmore » conductivity of Fe–bearing bridgmanite to 120 GPa using optical pump–probe spectroscopy. The conductivity of Fe–bearing bridgmanite increases monotonically with pressure but drops significantly around 45 GPa due to pressure–induced lattice distortion on iron sites. Our findings indicate that lattice thermal conductivity at lowermost mantle conditions is twice smaller than previously thought. The decrease in the thermal conductivity of bridgmanite in mid–lower mantle and below would promote mantle flow against a potential viscosity barrier, facilitating slabs crossing over the 1000 km depth. Modeling of our results applied to LLSVPs shows that variations in iron and bridgmanite fractions induce a significant thermal conductivity decrease, which would enhance internal convective flow. Our CMB heat flux modeling indicates that while heat flux variations are dominated by thermal effects, variations in thermal conductivity also play a significant role. In conclusion, the CMB heat flux map we obtained is substantially different from those assumed so far, which may influence our understanding of the geodynamo.« less

The understanding of fracture phenomena of a material at extremely high strain rates is a key issue for a wide variety of scientific research ranging from applied science and technological developments to fundamental science such as laser-matter interaction and geology. Despite its interest, its study relies on a fine multiscale description, in between the atomic scale and macroscopic processes, so far only achievable by large-scale atomic simulations. Direct ultrafast real-time monitoring of dynamic fracture (spallation) at the atomic lattice scale with picosecond time resolution was beyond the reach of experimental techniques. We show that the coupling between a high-power opticalmore » laser pump pulse and a femtosecond x-ray probe pulse generated by an x-ray free electron laser allows detection of the lattice dynamics in a tantalum foil at an ultrahigh strain rate of Embedded Image ~2 × 10⁸ to 3.5 × 10⁸ s^-1. A maximal density drop of 8 to 10%, associated with the onset of spallation at a spall strength of ~17 GPa, was directly measured using x-ray diffraction. The experimental results of density evolution agree well with large-scale atomistic simulations of shock wave propagation and fracture of the sample. Our experimental technique opens a new pathway to the investigation of ultrahigh strain-rate phenomena in materials at the atomic scale, including high-speed crack dynamics and stress-induced solid-solid phase transitions.« less

Here, we have observed the lattice expansion before the onset of compression in an optical-laser-driven target, using diffraction of femtosecond X-ray beams generated by the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free-electron Laser. The change in diffraction angle provides a direct measure of the lattice spacing, allowing the density to be calculated with a precision of ±1%. From the known equation of state relations, this allows an estimation of the temperature responsible for the expansion as <1000 K. The subsequent ablation-driven compression was observed with a clear rise in density at later times. This demonstrates the feasibility of studying the dynamics of preheatingmore » and shock formation with unprecedented detail.« less