Experimental Petrology & Mineral Physics
Experimental Petrology Lab
A state-of-the-art laboratory that consists of three DelTech furnaces for TZM-style pressure vessels and eleven cold-seal pressure vessel systems, four of which are equipped with rapid-quench capabilities. The pressure line for the cold-seal vessels allows for controlled, continuous decompressions. In addition, there is a Piston Cylinder Apparatus to allow experimental conditions to 1700 degrees C and up to 4 GPa (40,000 bars) pressure. Combined, the experimental facilities allow experiments to be run at conditions from near surface to the upper mantle. The lab also is equipped with a one-atmosphere gas-mixing furnace for homogenization of glasses in controlled atmospheres.
- Contact James Gardner for details.
Experimental Mineral Physics
Mineral Physics Lab uses diamond anvil cells to study material properties in high pressure-temperature conditions. The DACs are integrated with laser and synchrotron X-ray spectroscopic techniques to probe properties of materials under extreme high pressure-temperature conditions.
This lab has also built specialized equipment.
- Contact Jung-Fu Lin for details.
Mineral Identification
The EPS Electron Microbeam Facility houses a powder X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) for mineral identification and semi-quantitative modal mineralogy using Rietveld refinement, as well as an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) detector on the low vacuum SEM for orientation mapping and strain analyses.
- Contact Kenny Befus for details.
Thermal & Chemical Evolution
The Sun Lab conducts high-temperature, high-pressure laboratory experiments in order to research deep volatile cycle, thermobarometry and speedometry of Earth and planetary materials, and equilibrium/disequilibrium chemical fractionation.
More information is coming soon.
- Contact Chenguang Sun for details.