research overview
- Research focus is on the physical properties of materials at extreme pressures and temperatures utilizing experimental methods. These methods include static and dynamic compression techniques to reach the physical conditions inside of planets during their evolution. Understanding the atomistic mechanisms that govern the behavior of liquids at elevated pressures and temperature to interpret present day geophysical observables as well as understand the dynamic evolution of planetary interiors is a main research theme. Additional research into physical properties of unusual materials, either super-hard materials or amorphous materials is another major theme. Current work is focusing on the role of volatiles in altering the physical properties of silicate liquids at high pressures and the implication for in understanding 1) the origin of Earth’s water and 2) the nature of seismic and electrical geophysical anomalies at the upper and lower boundaries of the Earth’s mantle transition zone.