Effect of helium on structure and compression behavior of SiO₂ glass

The behavior of volatiles is crucial for understanding the evolution of the Earth's interior, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Noble gases as neutral species can serve as probes and be used for examining gas solubility in silicate melts and structural responses to any gas inclusion. Here, we report...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 108; no. 15; pp. 6004 - 6007
Main Authors Shen, Guoyin, Mei, Qiang, Prakapenka, Vitali B, Lazor, Peter, Sinogeikin, Stanislav, Meng, Yue, Park, Changyong
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published National Academy of Sciences 2011
Subjects
evolution
glass
helium
hydrogen
melting
silica
solubility
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Summary:The behavior of volatiles is crucial for understanding the evolution of the Earth's interior, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Noble gases as neutral species can serve as probes and be used for examining gas solubility in silicate melts and structural responses to any gas inclusion. Here, we report experimental results that reveal a strong effect of helium on the intermediate range structural order of SiO₂ glass and an unusually rigid behavior of the glass. The structure factor data show that the first sharp diffraction peak position of SiO₂ glass in helium medium remains essentially the same under pressures up to 18.6 GPa, suggesting that helium may have entered in the voids in SiO₂ glass under pressure. The dissolved helium makes the SiO₂ glass much less compressible at high pressures. GeO₂ glass and SiO₂ glass with H₂ as pressure medium do not display this effect. These observations suggest that the effect of helium on the structure and compression of SiO₂ glass is unique.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1102361108
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490