Partial crystallization in silicates and Fe alloys: Cooling down a planet

Crystallization is a critical process in Earth-like planetary evolution. In the early stage of planetary formation, differentiation between metallic core and silicate mantle happens in the liquid state but upon secular cooling, crystallization starts both in the mantle and the core.
Here, we aim at developing a new time-resolved experimental approach enabled by the high flux of the ESRF-EBS pink beam, the high repetition rate of the EIGER detector, and time-resolved temperature measurements for liquidus temperature determination, in addition to developments in multigrain crystallography to monitor the microstructural imprints of crystallization processes.
This unique combination of fast in-situ diagnostics will allow us to accurately determine the crystallization temperature of a well-controlled and homogeneous liquid before chemical migration, whereas the multi-grain analysis on the quench will be used to decipher the phases formed and the texture of the crystallized materials.