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Thermal conductivity anomaly in spin-crossover ferropericlase under lower mantle conditions and implications for heat flow across the core-mantle boundary

  • Zhongqing Wu EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: November 28, 2018
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American Mineralogist
From the journal American Mineralogist Volume 103 Issue 12

Abstract

Iron in ferropericlase experiences a spin crossover from a high spin to a low spin under lower mantle conditions, which generates anomalies in many properties such as the heat capacity and sound velocity. In this study, the effect of the spin crossover on thermal conductivity was evaluated by considering the effects of the spin crossover on P wave velocity and heat capacity at constant volume but ignoring the effect on the mean free path. The spin crossover completely changes the conventional pressure and temperature dependences of the thermal conductivity. The spin crossover can significantly reduce the thermal conductivity of ferropericlase. The pressure dependence of the thermal conductivity of ferropericlase will show a double-valley feature across the spin-crossover region at the appropriate temperature (e.g., 1000 K). In contrast to the conventional decrease in the thermal conductivity with temperature, the thermal conductivity of ferropericlase in the Earth’s D″ layer may increase with temperature in some temperature regions. The unusual effect of spin crossover on the thermal conductivity can be expected in other minerals with spin crossover. The spin crossover effect needs serious consideration when estimating the thermal conductivity at the core-mantle boundary.

Keywords: Thermal transport; spin transition; high pressure; ferropericlase; thermodynamics, sound velocity

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Renata M. Wentzcovitch for her constructive suggestions. This work is financially supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program (B) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant No. XDB18000000, the Natural Science Foundation of China (41721002) the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (WK2080000078).

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Received: 2018-06-17
Accepted: 2018-08-01
Published Online: 2018-11-28
Published in Print: 2018-12-19

© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6690
Keywords for this article
Thermal transport; spin transition; high pressure; ferropericlase; thermodynamics, sound velocity

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Letter
  2. Rapid solid-state sintering in volcanic systems
  3. How geometry and anisotropy affect residual strain in host-inclusion systems: Coupling experimental and numerical approaches
  4. Special collection: Earth analogs for martian geological materials and processes
  5. Diverse mineral assemblages of acidic alteration in the Rio Tinto area (southwest Spain): Implications for Mars
  6. Special collection: From magmas to ore deposits
  7. Archaean hydrothermal fluid modified zircons at Sunrise Dam and Kanowna Belle gold deposits, Western Australia: Implications for post-magmatic fluid activity and ore genesis
  8. Special collection: Water in nominally hydrous and anhydrous minerals
  9. New high-pressure phases in MOOH (M = Al, Ga, In)
  10. Articles
  11. Nuwaite (Ni6GeS2) and butianite (Ni6SnS2), two new minerals from the Allende meteorite: Alteration products in the early solar system
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  13. Thermodynamic properties of natural melilites
  14. Thermal conductivity anomaly in spin-crossover ferropericlase under lower mantle conditions and implications for heat flow across the core-mantle boundary
  15. Electronic properties and compressional behavior of Fe–Si alloys at high pressure
  16. Diffusion of molybdenum and tungsten in anhydrous and hydrous granitic melts
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  22. New Mineral Names
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