Compression of iron: Inhuman

Incredible pressure and temperature of the Earth's core are pressed here the atoms are so close together that they interact very unusual way. The substance loses its usual properties and acquires an entirely new.
U.S. scientists led by Ronald Cohen (Ronald Cohen) recently published the results of work in which they studied the behavior of the powerful means of oxide of iron (II) under conditions that are believed to exist in the heart of our planet, in its nucleus. Together with magnesium, FeO is the second most common mineral of the inner layers of the Earth's mantle, ferroperiklaz - and professionals interested in the details of his existence on this hellish depths.

The authors studied the behavior of FeO at pressures of 1.4 million atmospheres and a temperature of 2.2 thousand. OS - it is believed that some of the values ​​they reach the border of the mantle and core. Modern theoretical methods and the power of supercomputers have allowed to discover what the structural, chemical, electronic and other reconstruction experiences matter in these extreme conditions.

Previously it was thought that even at 690 thousand. atm and 1.6 thousand. OS iron oxide (II) undergoes structural changes and changes from a non-conducting state to a conducting. But a new study has shown that this transition occurs without structural changes. In other words, even without changing the relative positions of the atoms in their crystal lattice, FeO can become an insulator or a conductor, at sufficiently high pressures and temperatures.

... Like salt in the ... In some previous studies have shown that at high pressure and temperature structure of the FeO undergoes a ... However, our results suggest that the ... Moreover, theoretically, the behavior of electrons in this ...

Based on these data, FeO remains in the electrical conductivity of the entire thickness of the lower layers of the Earth's mantle. This fact, indeed, is of great importance in terms of the importance of the effect produced by the conductive masses in the bowels of the Earth - namely, the global magnetic field of the planet. Generating material of the upper part of the earth's core, it should apply to the conducting layers of the mantle differently than it would occur if the FeO would have remained an insulator. According to Professor Cohen, as a result between the mantle and the core there is a ...