Rafael
Loriga
Rafael Loriga, a chemistry student at Florida International University, will delve into the Thermal Conductivity of Earth's Minerals and Alloys, collaborating with Alex Goncharov.
Thermal Conductivity of Earth’s Minerals and Alloys
The thermal history of the core and mantle and their dynamics is one of the most fundamental topics in geophysics. It is related to the processes of planetary accretion and differentiation, the time evolution of mantle and core temperatures, and the generation of Earth’s magnetic field.
The thermal conductivity of materials in the Earth’s and planetary interiors is the key to understanding these phenomena. In this project, Rafael will conduct direct measurements of the thermal conductivity of Earth’s minerals and alloys in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell at extreme pressure- temperature conditions representative of the Earth’s interior.
