Iron-bearing minerals in Earth's lower mantle and core-mantle boundary: Development and application of a synchrotron Mössbauer source

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Catherine McCammon
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2009 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 149731101

The project involves the development of a single-line neV-wide source of synchrotron radiation for energy-resolved Mössbauer spectroscopy at extreme conditions. The source will allow us to measure high quality Mössbauer spectra of samples at the micron scale within a time span of a few minutes. The rapid data collection will enable the measurement of the electronic structure of iron in materials at conditions of those within the deep Earth (pressures greater than 100 GPa and temperatures up to 3000 K). We will apply the technique to study the oxidation state of iron in lower mantle minerals, spin transitions involving ferric iron in lower mantle minerals, and in situ investigations of chemical reactions between iron-bearing alloys and oxides/silicates at the core-mantle boundary.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Leonid Dubrovinsky