Electrical Conductivity of Lower Mantle Materials produced by Laser Heating in the Diamond-anvil Cell

Abstract

We report recent experimental results on the electrical conductivity of Earth's mantle materials synthesised and measured in a laser heated diamond anvil cell. This results show an effect of oxygen partial pressure on the conductivity and on the chemistry of the high pressure phases synthesised in the DAC. Previous treatments under controlled fO2 conditions have a significant effect for natural olivines, attributed to the presence of a small amount of nickel. No effect was observed for pure synthetic olivines. The gas trapped in the sample during the closure of the cell has an influence on the produced material. Our results on the electrical conductivity of perovskite and magnesiowustite are in good agreement with recent geomagnetic data.