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Sanloup et al. 2004
Sanloup, C., Fiquet, G., Gregoryanz, E., Morard, G. and Mezouar, M. (2004). Effect of Si on liquid Fe compressibility: Implications for sound velocity in core materials. Geophysical Research Letters 31: doi: 10.1029/2004GL019526. issn: 0094-8276.

Density of liquid Fe-Si alloys was measured in situ up to 5 GPa-1725 K by an X-ray absorption technique using synchrotron radiation. Increasing the amount of silicon in liquid iron decreases the bulk incompressibility by only -0.5 GPa per 1 weight% of Si. These data confirm our previous prediction of a negligible effect of Si on liquid Fe bulk properties, prediction based on the observation of a similar local structure in liquid Fe and liquid Fe-Si alloys. Si and S have therefore opposite effects on P-waves velocity (vP = $sqrt{K/rho}$), both elements reduce the bulk density of liquid iron but only S affects its compressibility. Since compression-wave velocities in the Earth's outer core are slightly higher than in pure liquid Fe in the same P-T conditions, it implies that Si would correct this discrepancy while S would increase it.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Geochemistry, Composition of the core, Mineralogy and Petrology, Experimental mineralogy and petrology, Mineral Physics, Equations of state, Mineral Physics, High-pressure behavior, Mineral Physics, X ray, neutron, and electron spectroscopy and diffraction
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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