Three-Dimensional Coherent X-Ray Diffraction Imaging of Molten Iron in Mantle Olivine at Nanoscale Resolution

Huaidong Jiang, Rui Xu, Chien-Chun Chen, Wenge Yang, Jiadong Fan, Xutang Tao, Changyong Song, Yoshiki Kohmura, Tiqiao Xiao, Yong Wang, Yingwei Fei, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Wendy L. Mao, and Jianwei Miao

Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 205501 – Published 13 May 2013

Abstract

We report quantitative 3D coherent x-ray diffraction imaging of a molten Fe-rich alloy and crystalline olivine sample, synthesized at 6 GPa and $1800 ° C$ , with nanoscale resolution. The 3D mass density map is determined and the 3D distribution of the Fe-rich and Fe-S phases in the olivine-Fe-S sample is observed. Our results indicate that the Fe-rich melt exhibits varied 3D shapes and sizes in the olivine matrix. This work has potential for not only improving our understanding of the complex interactions between Fe-rich core-forming melts and mantle silicate phases but also paves the way for quantitative 3D imaging of materials at nanoscale resolution under extreme pressures and temperatures.

Received 6 December 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.205501

Authors & Affiliations

Huaidong Jiang¹, Rui Xu², Chien-Chun Chen², Wenge Yang³, Jiadong Fan¹, Xutang Tao¹, Changyong Song⁴, Yoshiki Kohmura⁴, Tiqiao Xiao⁵, Yong Wang⁵, Yingwei Fei⁶, Tetsuya Ishikawa⁴, Wendy L. Mao^7,8, and Jianwei Miao^2,*

¹State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
²Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
³HPSynC, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
⁴RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
⁵Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
⁶Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA
⁷Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
⁸Photon Science and Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA