Shock compression response of forsterite above 250 GPa

Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) is one of the major planetary materials, and its behavior under extreme conditions is important to understand the interior structure of large planets, such as super-Earths, and large-scale planetary impact events. Previous shock compression measurements of forsterite indicate that it may melt below 200 GPa, but these measurements did not go beyond 200 GPa. We report the shock response of forsterite above ~250 GPa, obtained using the laser shock wave technique. We simultaneously measured the Hugoniot and temperature of shocked forsterite and interpreted the results to suggest the following: (i) incongruent crystallization of MgO at 271 to 285 GPa, (ii) phase transition of MgO at 285 to 344 GPa, and (iii) remelting above ~470 to 500 GPa. These exothermic and endothermic reactions are seen to occur under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. They indicate complex structural and chemical changes in the system MgO-SiO2 at extreme pressures and temperatures and will affect the way we understand the interior processes of large rocky planets as well as material transformation by impacts in the formation of planetary systems.

Dynamic compression of Earth materials

Shock wave techniques have been used to investigate the pressuredensity relations of metals, silicates, and oxides over the entire range of pressures present in the earth (3.7 x 10(6) bars at the center). In many materials of geophysical interest, such as iron, wüstite, calcium oxide, and forsterite, major shock-induced phase changes dominate the compression behavior below pressures of 10(6) bars. The shock wave data for the high-pressure phases of these minerals lead to important inferences about the composition of the lower mantle and outer, liquid core of the earth. The lower mantle of the earth appears to have a slightly higher density than is inferred to correspond to the behavior of an olivine-rich assembiage of the same composition as the upper mantle. The core has a density some 10 percent less than that of pure iron and may have 9 to 12 percent sulfur or about 8 percent oxygen by weight.

Association Reaction in Forsterite Under Shock Compression

Transmission electron microscopic observation of forsterite (Mg(2)SiO(4)) shocked to peak pressures of 78 to 92 gigapascals revealed that forsterite breaks down to an assemblage of MgO plus MgSiO(3) glass. This strongly supports the interpretation that the high-pressure phase of forsterite under shock compression is due to the assemblage of MgSiO(3) perovskite plus MgO.