(Mg,Fe)SiO3-perovskite stability under lower mantle conditions.

Serghiou, G; Zerr, A; Boehler, R · Science · 1998

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

In three different experiments up to 100 gigapascals and 3000 kelvin, (Mg,Fe)SiO3-perovskite, the major component of the lower mantle, remained stable and did not decompose to its component oxides (Mg, Fe)O and SiO2. Perovskite was formed from these oxides when heated in a diamond anvil cell at pressures up to 100 gigapascals. Both MgSiO3 crystals and glasses heated to 3000 kelvin at 75 gigapascals also formed perovskite as a single phase, as evident from Raman spectra. Moreover, fluorescence measurements on chromium-doped samples synthesized at these conditions gave no indication of the presence of MgO.