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Superionic hydrogen in Earths deep interior

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 نشر من قبل Yu He
 تاريخ النشر 2018
  مجال البحث فيزياء
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Superionic hydrogen was previously thought to be an exotic state predicted and confirmed only in pure H2O ice. In Earths deep interior, H2O exists in the form of O-H groups in ultra-dense hydrous minerals, which have been proved to be stable even at the conditions of the core-mantle boundary (CMB). However, the superionic states of these hydrous minerals at high P-T have not been investigated. Using first-principles calculations, we found that pyrite structured FeO2Hx (0 <= x <= 1) and d-AlOOH, which have been proposed to be major hydrogen-bearing phases in the deep lower mantle (DLM), contain superionic hydrogen at high P-T conditions. Our observations indicate a universal pathway of the hydroxyl O-H at low pressure transforming to symmetrical O-H-O bonding at high-P low-T, and a superionic state at high-P high-T. The superionicity of hydrous minerals has a major impact on the electrical conductivity and hydrogen transportation behaviors of Earths lower mantle as well as the CMB.



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