PEOPLE

Research Summary:

Professor Stixrude investigates how physics and chemistry at the atomic level controls geophysical and planetary processes. Fields of interests include mineral physics, geological liquids and fluids, condensed matter physics, high pressure physics, planetary structure and evolution. He uses density functional theory based codes such as VASP and LAPW500 to investigate the behavior of materials at high pressure and temperature, including solids, liquids and supercritical fluids in oxide and metallic systems. He also uses an anisotropic thermodynamics code that he wrote in collaboration with Dr. Lithgow-Bertelloni called HeFESTo to study phase equilibria and physical properties of multi-phase materials, and to build models of planetary mantles.

Keywords:

Earth's Core, Earth's Mantle, Transition-Metal Oxides, High Pressure, Planetary Interiors, Planetary Materials, Extreme Conditions, Helium, Iron, Silicates

Group: