IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-28255-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Inner core composition paradox revealed by sound velocities of Fe and Fe-Si alloy

Author

Listed:
  • Haijun Huang

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Lili Fan

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Xun Liu

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Feng Xu

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Ye Wu

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Gang Yang

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Chunwei Leng

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Qingsong Wang

    (China Academy of Engineering Physics)

  • Jidong Weng

    (China Academy of Engineering Physics)

  • Xiang Wang

    (China Academy of Engineering Physics)

  • Lingcang Cai

    (China Academy of Engineering Physics)

  • Yingwei Fei

    (Carnegie Institution for Science)

Abstract

Knowledge of the sound velocity of core materials is essential to explain the observed anomalously low shear wave velocity (VS) and high Poisson’s ratio (σ) in the solid inner core. To date, neither VS nor σ of Fe and Fe-Si alloy have been measured under core conditions. Here, we present VS and σ derived from direct measurements of the compressional wave velocity, bulk sound velocity, and density of Fe and Fe-8.6 wt%Si up to ~230 GPa and ~5400 K. The new data show that neither the effect of temperature nor incorporation of Si would be sufficient to explain the observed low VS and high σ of the inner core. A possible solution would add carbon (C) into the solid inner core that could further decrease VS and increase σ. However, the physical property-based Fe-Si-C core models seemingly conflict with the partitioning behavior of Si and C between liquid and solid Fe.

Suggested Citation

  • Haijun Huang & Lili Fan & Xun Liu & Feng Xu & Ye Wu & Gang Yang & Chunwei Leng & Qingsong Wang & Jidong Weng & Xiang Wang & Lingcang Cai & Yingwei Fei, 2022. "Inner core composition paradox revealed by sound velocities of Fe and Fe-Si alloy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28255-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28255-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28255-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-28255-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28255-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.