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Isotope Fractionation by Thermal Diffusion in Silicate Melts

Daniel J. Lacks, Gaurav Goel, Charles J. Bopp, IV, James A. Van Orman, Charles E. Lesher, and Craig C. Lundstrom
Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 065901 – Published 10 February 2012
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Abstract

Isotopes fractionate in thermal gradients, but there is little quantitative understanding of this effect in complex fluids. Here we present results of experiments and molecular dynamics simulations on silicate melts. We show that isotope fractionation arises from classical mechanical effects, and that a scaling relation based on Chapman-Enskog theory predicts the behavior seen in complex fluids without arbitrary fitting parameters. The scaling analysis reveals that network forming elements (Si and O) fractionate significantly less than network modifiers (e.g., Mg, Ca, Fe, Sr, Hf, and U).

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  • Received 10 November 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.065901

© 2012 American Physical Society

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Mystery of Isotope Separation in Lava is Solved

Published 10 February 2012

Classical physics explains why isotopes segregate in molten rock.

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Authors & Affiliations

Daniel J. Lacks1, Gaurav Goel1,2, Charles J. Bopp, IV3, James A. Van Orman1,2, Charles E. Lesher4, and Craig C. Lundstrom3

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
  • 2Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
  • 3Department of Geology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
  • 4Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA

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Issue

Vol. 108, Iss. 6 — 10 February 2012

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