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How deep can quantum mechanics help researchers understand the Earth?


Our planet is full of mysteries. How exactly did the Earth form and develop to its present state? Why do certain places in its interior appear hotter or colder, rising or sinking?

For answers, geoscientists experimented with materials expected to be found in the Earth’s interior, but these materials exist at enormous pressures and temperatures that cannot be recycled. created in the laboratory. Renata Wentzcovitcha condensed matter physicist, says quantum simulation can help.

“Nature is quantum,” said Wentzcovitch, professor at Columbia Engineering and Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory.

Image credit: SwidaAlba via Pixabayfree license

Quantum mechanics is a theory that deals with the wave-like motion of extremely small particles, like electrons orbiting an atom. Atoms and their electrons combine to form molecules that make up the material that makes up the Earth — all of which have quantum properties. Although quantum mechanical equations can be applied to any material, they are often used to describe phenomena that cannot be understood by classical physics.

During his PhD, Wentzcovitch studied the quantum nature of hard materials, such as diamond and graphite, as well as how extreme heat and pressure can change electronic and structural properties structure of the material. She then developed methods of quantum simulation in her graduate years to tackle complex materials. Where can tough materials that withstand extreme conditions be found? Deep Earth.

To understand Earth’s evolution and current state, researchers must combine information about its material composition with the effects of external forces such as temperature and pressure. Wentzcovitch applying techniques she helped grow in condensed matter physics to study the nearly 4,000 miles of matter beneath our feet.

For example, last fall, she and her colleagues combined more than 15 years of research into a quantum property known as the spin state, which occurs in iron materials. Combining those results with seismic evidence, the team identified the signature of a rotate the transition deep inside the Earth’s buffer. This rigorous quantum phenomenon changes the speed at which sound travels in solids and helps explain the mysterious pattern of seismic velocities observed 1,200 kilometers above the ground.

In January, she and her team revealed that the Earth’s molten iron core solidifies as it cools in a two-step process, than one. The result is another step toward solving an age-old paradox that says it should have taken longer than Earth’s age, 4.5 billion years, for its inner core to solidify.

She and her team are currently working with seismologists and geodynamics on a reference model of the distribution of mineral phases and their composition in the Earth’s mantle. All aimed at unraveling the deep evolution of the Earth with the help of quantum simulations.

The source: Columbia University






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