Mineral Physics

Ar/Kr-mixed-ion laser

This laser is part of a Raman spectroscopy system designed to study (1) thermodynamic properties and (2) phase transitions of materials at high pressures and high temperatures. This technique is a complementary tool to X-ray diffraction for studying crystal structures. Raman spectroscopy is very powerful to study volatiles (e.g., H2O and CO2) which have extremely small scattering cross sections for X-rays.
Image and description courtesy of Sang-Heon (Dan) Shim.

Perovskite structure, MgSiO3

MgSiO3 with a perovskite structure is the most abundant phase in the Earth's lower mantle. Gray tetrahedra represent the oxygen atoms surrounding a central silicon atom, shown as a blue sphere. The larger red spheres are the magnesium atoms that fit within the silica lattice.

Image courtesy of Sang-Heon (Dan) Shim.