Title
Ab initio structure of MgSiO3 ilmenite at high pressure
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2000
Abstract
The structural properties of MgSiO -ilmenite at high pressures are determined using Ab initio variable cell-shape molecular dynamics. Our athermal results at zero pressure are in excellent agreement with single-crystal measurements. The predicted lattice constants compare favorably with powder X-ray diffraction data. The internal parameters are shown to vary only slightly with pressure. The c axis is considerably more compressible than the a axis and our results suggest that this anisotropic behavior arises in the relatively larger compressibility of MgO with respect to SiO octahedra. Both octahedral types remain highly distorted with the degree of distortion decreasing (more rapidly in MgO ) under compression. By comparing free energies, it is shown that MgSiO should transform from the ilmenite to the perovskite structure at 30 GPa (for static lattice). At the transition, the density and elastic moduli increase substantially. 3 6 6 6 3
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
American Mineralogist
First Page
317
Last Page
320
Recommended Citation
Karki, B., Duan, W., Da Silva, C., & Wentzcovitch, R. (2000). Ab initio structure of MgSiO3 ilmenite at high pressure. American Mineralogist, 85 (2), 317-320. https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2000-2-309