Equation of State Parameters of hcp-Fe Up to Super-Earth Interior Conditions
Source abstract
Abstract
Equation of state (EoS) parameters of hexagonal close-packed iron (hcp-Fe), the dominant core component in large terrestrial planets, is crucial for studying interior structures of super-Earths. However, EoS parameters at interior conditions of super-Earths remain poorly constrained, and extrapolating from Earth’s core conditions introduces significant uncertainties at TPa pressures. Here, we compiled experimental static and dynamic compression data and theoretical data up to 1374 GPa and 12,000 K from the literature to refine the EoS of hcp-Fe. Using the third-order Birch–Murnaghan and Mie–Grüneisen–Debye equations, we obtained V0 (unit-cell volume) = 6.756 (10) cm3/mol, KT0 (isothermal bulk modulus) = 174.7 (17) GPa, KT0′ (pressure derivative of KT0) = 4.790 (14), θ0 (Debye temperature) = 1209 (73) K, γ0 (Grüneisen parameters) = 2.86 (10), and q (volume-independent constant) = 0.84 (5) at ambient conditions. These parameters were then incorporated into an interior model of CoRoT-7b and Kepler-10b, which includes four solid compositional layers (forsterite, MgSiO3 perovskite, post-perovskite, and hcp-Fe). The model yields the core mass fractions (CMF) of 0.1709 in CoRoT-7b and 0.2216 in Kepler-10b, suggesting a Mars-like interior structure. Extrapolation uncertainties (±10–20% in density) can change CMF by −12.6 to 21.2%, highlighting the necessity of precise EoS constraints at the super-Earth interior conditions.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: High-pressure geophysics and materials · Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies · Earthquake Detection and Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Earth and Planetary Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
School of Digital Media Engineering and Humanities, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China
School of Mathematics (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
Funding
the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province · the Digital Intelligence Plus Foundation of Hunan University of Technology and Business · the startup funding of 100 Top Talents Program, Sun Yat-sen University
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