Body-Centered Cubic Iron-Nickel Alloy in Earth's Core

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 316; no. 5833; pp. 1880 - 1883
• Main Authors: Dubrovinsky, L, Dubrovinskaia, N, Narygina, O, Kantor, I, Kuznetzov, A, Prakapenka, V.B, Vitos, L, Johansson, B, Mikhaylushkin, A.S, Simak, S.I, Abrikosov, I.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 29.06.2007; The American Association for the Advancement of Science; AAAS
• Subjects: ALLOYS; Crystalline rocks; DIAMONDS; differential rotation; Earth; Earth core; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Electrical phases; Exact sciences and technology; Experimental petrology; fe-ni alloys; Fees; Fysik; Geochemistry; Geophysical studies; Geophysics; gpa; High pressure; High temperature; in-situ; Inner cores; inner-core; Internal geophysics; IRON; IRON ALLOYS; Materials; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Mineralogy; NATURAL SCIENCES; NATURVETENSKAP; NICKEL; Nickel alloys; Non silicates; phase transition; phase-diagram; Physics; planet; Shock waves; SILICON; situ x-ray; Solid-earth geophysics, tectonophysics, gravimetry; SULFUR; temperature; X ray diffraction; experimental studies; nickel; alloys; X-ray diffraction; phase transitions; high pressure; core; crystal structure; iron; P-T conditions; diamond anvil cells; inner core; shock waves

Cosmochemical, geochemical, and geophysical studies provide evidence that Earth's core contains iron with substantial (5 to 15%) amounts of nickel. The iron-nickel alloy Fe₀.₉Ni₀.₁ has been studied in situ by means of angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction in internally heated diamond anvil cells (...