CMP
research
Our
research focuses on the structure, composition, dynamics and evolution
of the Earth and terrestrial planetary bodies. Highlights include:
- a
publication in Nature on the first ab initio calculations on high
P/T liquid Fe to determine the viscosity of the outer core (Alfè,
Dobson, Price, Vočadlo);
- publication
in Nature on the development of a new model (BIFS) for the origin of
the ULVZs (Dobson, Brodholt);
- calculations
of the elasticity of the post-perovskite phase published in Nature
(Brodholt);
- a
publication in Nature proposing that iron may be present in the body
centred cubic structure in part of the Earth’s inner core (Vočadlo,
Alfè, Brodholt, Price, Wood);
- publications
in Nature and PRL on the first ab initio free energy calculations on
high P/T solid and liquid Fe and its alloys to determine the high P
melting temperature of Fe and the probable composition of the outer
and inner core (Alfè, Price);
- calculations
on the defect properties of perovskite in Nature show that Al could
have a major effect on its elastic properties (Brodholt);
- a
publication in Science about a combined theoretical-experimental
study of the phonons and the thermodynamical properties of solid
iron up to Earth’s core pressures (Alfè, Price, Vočadlo);
- developed
acoustic emmissions techniques in the MAP, reported in Science, and
applied them to deep-focus earthquakes (Dobson);
- publication
in Science on iron-magnesium interdiffusion in wadsleyite (Dobson);
- a
technique of coexistence of phases in first principles simulations
and obtained the melting curve of MgO at mantle conditions (Alfè);
- new
techniques for rheological measurements at high pressure (Dobson,
Wood, Hunt);
- structures
and EOS of planetary ices (Fortes, Wood, Vočadlo, Dobson);
- physical
properties of planetary ices and planetary evolution modelling
(Fortes, Grindrod, Vočadlo, Wood, Dobson);
- high-pressure,
electrical conductivity measurements, reported in Science, indicate
a mantle thermal structure that is only consistent with whole-mantle
convection (Dobson, Brodholt).