Ab initio simulation of electron transport property of solid iron under Earth's inner core conditions

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26800273
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Petrology/Mineralogy/Economic geology
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Dekura Haruhiko 愛媛大学, 地球深部ダイナミクス研究センター, 講師 (90700146)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 地球核 / 電気・熱伝導度 / 金属鉄 / 電子-フォノン相互作用 / 密度汎関数摂動論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Heat transport properties of planetary constituent materials are indispensable information for understanding thermal evolution of solid earth planets. It is thought that the earth's core is composed of an alloy containing iron as a main component. The key physical quantity for the quantitative evaluation of the electron transport is the strength of electron-phonon interaction that is a major heat transport mechanism in metals. In this study, we calculated the electron lifetime and total electron-phonon coupling constants associated with the electron-phonon scattering for the hexagonal close-packed iron considered to be the major constituent mineral of the earth’s inner core. The electric and thermal conductivities were then determined under the earth’s inner core conditions.

Free Research Field

物性理論