ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR MINERAL CHARACTERIZATION IN-SITU AT EXTREME CONDITIONS

Understanding the complex nature of the deep interiors of the Earth and giant planets requires knowledge of physical and chemical properties of their constituting elements and compounds at relevant extreme P-T conditions. To provide new constrains on models for planetary evolution and origin, essential properties (melting, structure, phase relation, chemical reactions, and kinetics, transport, elastic, electronic properties, etc) of a wide range of minerals must be studied in-situ at ultra-extreme conditions of pressure, temperature up to 1TPa and 10,000K. These formidable experiments can only be conducted at dedicated synchrotron beamlines, like GSECARS (Sector 13, Advanced Photon Source), where state-of-the-art high-pressure on- and off-line techniques have been implemented and are currently being developed. Recent progress in continues and pulse laser heating technique, including application of fiber lasers and flat top laser beam shaping optics, result in significant improvement of the quality of x-ray data collected in-situ at high pressures and high temperatures in the diamond anvil cell [1]. Combining the double stage anvils technique [2] with pulse laser heating [3] coupled with the gating options of the new, large area CdTe 1M Pilatus detector, we will be able to study materials in-situ in the TPa pressure range and temperatures up to 10,000K for both static and dynamic experiments. Such unique capabilities at ultra-high P-T conditions approaching the warm dense state of matter will open an entire new research area creating a bridge between shockwave and DAC experiments that provides fundamental structural, thermodynamic, and transport property information for understanding the composition, origin and evolution of planetary systems.

Details and future developments of cutting-edge techniques at GSECARS for comprehensive characterization of materials in-situ at extreme conditions in view of planned APS diffraction limited storage ring upgrade will be discussed.

[1] V. Prakapenka, A. Kubo, A. Kuznetsov at al. High Pressure Research. 28 (3), 225-235 (2008)

[2] L. Dubrovinsky, N. Dubrovinskaia, V. Prakapenka et al. Nature Communications 3, 1163-1-1163-7 (2012)

[3] A. Goncharov, V. Prakapenka, V. Struzhkin et al. Review of Scientific Instruments, 81 (11), 113902-1-113902-5 (2010)