12 papers
Alchemical thermodynamic integration for ab initio free-energy calculations in solutions
Liangrui Wei, Feng Zhang, Renata M. Wentzcovitch +2
We develop an alchemical thermodynamic integration scheme that couples ab initio force calculators on the fly during Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. The implementat…
Radial gradient of superionic hydrogen in Earth's inner core
Zepeng Wu, Liangrui Wei, Chen Gao +3
Hydrogen is considered a key light element in Earth's core, yet the thermodynamics of its superionic phase and its distribution in the inner core remain unclear. Here, we compute a…
Lattice dynamics and the spectroscopic signatures of H-bond disorder in -AlOOH
Chenxing Luo, Sangjoon Lee, Hongjin Wang +2
Raman and infrared anomalies associated with H-bond symmetrization in -AlOOH, including mode softening and linewidth broadening at 5-10 GPa, occur at significantly lower pressu…
Assessing foundational atomistic models for iron alloys under Earth's core conditions
Tianqi Wan, Liangrui Wei, Zepeng Wu +2
We assess the capability of recently developed foundational atomistic models (FAMs) to simulate iron alloys under the extreme pressures and temperatures of Earth's core. Static equ…
A quiet quantum revolution in Earth's deep interior
Renata Wentzcovitch, Laura Cobden, Christine Houser +2
The Earth's lower mantle hosts a subtle but pervasive quantum phenomenon: the pressure-induced spin crossover of iron in its dominant minerals, bridgmanite and ferropericlase. In t…
Novel phases in the Fe-Si-O system at terapascal pressures
Nan Huang, Renata M. Wentzcovitch, Zepeng Wu +4
The Fe-Si-O ternary system, central to modeling the interiors of terrestrial planets, remains poorly constrained at Terapascal (TPa) pressures characteristic of super-Earth mantles…