A càrrec de la Dra. Jennifer M. Jackson, Mineralogical Society Distinguished Lecturer, Seismological Laboratory, Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
SEMINARIS DE LA FACULTAT DE GEOLOGIA I L'INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIES DE LA TERRA JAUME ALMERA

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Consell Superior d'Investigacions Científiques (CSIC)

Dia: dimecres 29 d'octubre
Hora: 12.00 h
Lloc: sala d'actes de l'Institut Jaume Almera

Resum: Earth's deep interior is inaccessible to natural sampling. However, devices such as diamond-anvil-cells and infrared lasers can be used to recreate the pressures and temperatures on minerals suspected to exist deep within Earth, while extremely bright x-rays are used to simultaneously probe the minerals' atomic structure. Therefore, through laboratory-based experiments, the mineralogy and chemistry of Earth's deep interior or any other planetary interior, can be determined.

Such measurements are possible because gem quality diamonds are extremely hard and transparent to a wide range of electromagnetic radiation, such as x- rays and light. Therefore, diamonds act as both pressure generators and windows. Specifically, I will present examples of how two semi-flawless diamonds can squeeze a small samples of silicates, oxides, and amorphous materials, while an infrared laser provides heat to the sample and x-rays provide important atomic-scale information.