Neutron diffraction study of the tricritical orientational order/disorder phase transition in calcite at 1260 K

Neutron powder diffraction measurements of the temperature dependence of superlattice reflections in calcite have shown that there is a continuous phase transition at 1260 K. The change in space group symmetry and the halving of the unit cell size on heating indicate that this transition is an orientational order/disorder transition. The intensities of the superlattice reflections show that the temperature dependence of the order parameter, Q, is of the form (T _c –T), where is 0.25, indicating that the transition is tricritical. The transition is accompanied by a large contraction along the c axis on cooling, defining a spontaneous strain e₃ which is related to the order parameter (and hence temperature) via e₃ Q ². No evidence for critical lowering of the value of was found. These measurements confirm that, apart from the detailed critical behaviour, the phase transition in calcite is similar to that observed in NaNO₃.     

Phase transitions in leucite,KAISi2O6

An order parameter treatment of the phase transitions in leucite, KAlSi₂O₆, at approximately 950 and 920 K: (cubic) I4₁ acd(tetragonal) I4₁ a(tetragonal) is presented in terms of Landau theory and induced representation theory. The Al-Si order with decreasing temperature is taken as the primary order parameter to which other distortions (K⁺ ion displacements, strain components, etc.) couple linearly. The expected Al-Si ordering behavior and the associated K⁺ ion displacements for both transitions are derived and the resulting twin domain orientations are listed. The sequence of phase transitions results from a coupling of ₃ ⁺ and ₄ ⁺ representations. The Landau free energy for the five-dimensional reducible representation has been simplified to two components resulting in a linearquadratic coupling of the components. Possible phase diagrams are derived by free energy minimization. The cubic tetragonal transition is first-order, whereas the tetragonal-tetragonal transition may be second order. A tricritical point exists at which the first-order transition changes to second-order.     

Calibration of Al/Si order variations in anorthite

New single crystal diffraction data for natural and heat-treated anorthite crystals (Angel et al. 1990) allow the determination of their states of Al/Si order in terms of a macroscopic order parameter,Q _OD , for the transition. Numerical values ofQ _OD obtained from estimates of site occupancies are shown to vary with the scalar spontaneous strain, _s , as _s Q _OD ² , and with the ratio of the sums of typeb (superlattice) reflections and typea (sublattice) reflections asI _b/I _a Q _OD ² . An empirical calibration for pure anorthite is obtained giving varies between 0.92 and 0.87 in samples equilibrated at T1300° C, but then falls off relatively rapidly with increasing temperature, reaching 0.7 near the melting point ( 1557° C). The observed temperature dependence does not conform to the predictions of the simplest single order parameter models; coupling ofQ _OD withQ of the transition is suspeeted.     

Structural relaxation in silicate melts and non-Newtonian melt rheology in geologic processes

The timescale of structural relaxation in a silicate melt defines the transition from liquid (relaxed) to glassy (unrelaxed) behavior. Structural relaxation in silicate melts can be described by a relaxation time, , consistent with the observation that the timescales of both volume and shear relaxation are of the same order of magnitude. The onset of significantly unrelaxed behavior occurs 2 log₁₀ units of time above . In the case of shear relaxation, the relaxation time can be quantified using the Maxwell relationship for a viscoelastic material; _S = _S/G (where _S is the shear relaxation time, G is the shear modulus at infinite frequency and _S is the zero frequency shear viscosity). The value of G known for SiO₂ and several other silicate glasses. The shear modulus, G , and the bulk modulus, K , are similar in magnitude for every glass, with both moduli being relatively insensitive to changes in temperature and composition. In contrast, the shear viscosity of silicate melts ranges over at least ten orders of magnitude, with composition at fixed temperature, and with temperature at fixed composition. Therefore, relative to _S, G may be considered a constant (independent of composition and temperature) and the value of _S, the relaxation time, may be estimated directly for the large number of silicate melts for which the shear viscosity is known.For silicate melts, the relaxation times calculated from the Maxwell relationship agree well with available data for the onset of the frequency-dependence (dispersion) of acoustic velocities, the onset of non-Newtonian viscosities, the scan-rate dependence of the calorimetric glass transition, with the timescale of an oxygen diffusive jump and with the Si-O bond exchange frequency obtained from ²⁹Si NMR studies.     

Powder- and single crystal Mössbauer spectroscopy on synthetic fayalite

Mössbauer measurements on synthetic iron orthosilicate Fe₂SiO₄ (fayalite) were carried out in the antiferromagnetic spin state below T _N 65 K. The Mössbauer parameters isomer shift , inner magnetic field H(0), angle between H(0) and the z-component of the electric field gradient (efg), quadrupole splitting QS and asymmetry parameter were determined as a function of temperature. These parameters could be attributed to the two crystallographic sites M1 and M2.The smaller isomer shift on M1 with respect to M2 displays the more covalent character of the Fe-O bond on M1, which is supported by previous neutron diffraction experiments. H(0) shows a Brillouin-type behaviour with different fields on the two crystallographic sites (stronger on M1) and a small discontinuity at T = 23 K which corresponds with previous magnetic measurements. The quadrupole splitting is equal on both sites within error bars, in agreement with previous theoretical results and in contradiction to previous Mössbauer refinements published elsewhere.     

The α-β phase transition in cristobalite,SiO2

Cristobalite, a high temperature phase of silica, SiO₂, undergoes a (metastable) first-order phase transition from a cubic, , to a tetragonal, P4₃2₁2 (or P4₁2₁2), structure at around 220° C. The cubic C9-type structure for -cristobalite (Wyckoff 1925) is improbable because of two stereochemically unfavorable features: a 180° Si-O-Si angle and an Si-O bond length of 1.54 Å, whereas the corresponding values in tetragonal -cristobalite are 146° and 1.609 Å respectively. The structure of the -phase is still controversial. To resolve this problem, a symmetry analysis of the (or P4₁2₁2) transition in cristobalite has been carried out based on the Landau formalism and projection operator methods. The starting point is the ideal cubic ( ) C9-type structure with the unit cell dimension a (7.432 Å) slightly larger than the known a dimension (7.195 Å at 205° C) of -cristobalite, such that the Si-O-Si angle is still 180°, but the Si-O bond length is 1.609 Å. The six-component order parameter driving the phase transition transforms according to the X₄ representation. The transition mechanism essentially involves a simultaneous translation and rotation of the silicate tetrahedra coupled along 110. A Landau free-energy expression is given as well as a listing of the three types of domains expected in -cristobalite from the transition. These domains are: (i) transformation twins from a loss of 3-fold axes, (ii) enantiomorphous twins from a loss of the inversion center, and (iii) antiphase domains from a loss of translation vectors 1/2 110 (FP). These domains are macroscopic and static in -cristobalite, and microscopic and dynamic in -cristobalite. The order parameter , couples with the strain components as ², which initiates the structural fluctuations, thereby causing the domain configurations to dynamically interchange in the -phase. Hence, the - cristobalite transition is a fluctuation-induced first-order transition and the -phase is a dynamic average of -type domains.     

Formulation of the thermodynamic functions for mantle minerals: MgO as an example

The formulas for thermodynamic functions for minerals are presented, couched in terms of the important thermodynamic variable K_T= (P/T)_v, where is the volume thermal expansivity and K_T is the isothermal bulk modulus. Presenting the formulas in this way leads to simplification since K_T as a product varies only slightly with volume, and is close to being independent of temperature at high temperature. Using our equations, we present as examples some computed data in the form of graphs on the entropy, internal energy, Helmholtz free energy, and Gibbs free energy in the high temperature regime (up to 2000 K) and for high compression (up to 0.7), for MgO. For entropy, knowledge of the V, T dependence of K_T is sufficient. For enthalpy and internal energy, the equation of state is needed in addition.     

Al-Si ordering in Sr-feldspar SrAl2Si2O8: IR,TEM and single-crystal XRD evidences

Al-Si ordering in Sr-feldspar has been followed by isothermal annealing, starting from a disordered metastable configuration. Ordering could not be followed by changes in the spontaneous strain as cell parameters did not show significant changes with thermal treatment from 0.016 h to 452 h at T=1350° C, while, on the contrary, significant changes in IR spectra are observed. A single crystal obtained from melt (Q _od 0) has been progressively heated up to 678 h at T=1350° C and the relevant structural refinements enabled to monitor changes in degree of Al-Si order up to Q_od = 0.86. In isothermal treatment for Sr-feldspar it is observed a significantly lower Q _od than in anorthite after the same annealing time. TEM observation has shown in Sr-feldspar, also for shortest annealing, b type reflections, while in anorthite, in the same conditions, e type reflections have been observed (Carpenter 1991a). In the first stages of ordering b APDs sized 100 Å (at T=1350° C, 0.33 h) have been observed in Sr-feldspar; APD coarsening occurs with an activation energy of 120±7 kcal mol^-1, not significantly different from anorthite. The ordering process seems to be a slower process in Sr-feldspar than in anorthite, even though data from longer annealing suggest that the Q _od close to the equilibrium is the same in Sr and Ca-feldspar (Q _od = 0.86 at T=1350° C).     

β(Mg0.9, Fe0.1)2SiO4: Single crystal structure,cation distribution,and properties of coordination polyhedra

The synthesis boundaries of the phase transformation; ++ in (Mg_0.9, Fe_0.1)SiO₄, have been clarified at temperatures to 2000° C and pressures up to 20 GPa in order to synthesize single crystals of high quality. A single crystal of (Mg_0.9, Fe_0.1)₂SiO₄ was grown successfully to a size of 500 m. The crystal structure has been refined from single-crystal X-ray intensities. The ferrous ions prefer M1 and M3 sites to over the larger M2 site. The volume change of all the occupied polyhedra does not contribute to the decrease of total volume in the transformation; rather it tends to increase the bulk volume through the expansion of occupied tetrahedra. The volume reduction in the phase transformations is accounted for by unoccupied polyhedra, with the octahedra contributory 60% and the tetrahedra 40% to the V of the transition. The volume change in the transformation is caused also partly by the volume decrease of MO ₆ (25%), partly the unoccupied tetrahedra (45%) and octahedra (30%).     

Heterogeneous deformation resulting from stress gradients in calcite single crystals

The stress gradient calculated from an isotropic elastic approximation does not directly reflect the distribution of permanent deformation in a crystal of the same shape under the same conditions. However, with additional crystallographic constraints, it serves to predict locations where twinning and slip are first activated in a stressed crystal. In this study, thick-walled hollow cylinders were cored from single calcite crystals parallel to 0001 and . One cylinder of each orientation was loaded at room temperature under one of two conditions: internal pressure (P _p )=60 MPa, external pressure (P _c )=100 MPa, or P _p = 20 MPa, P _c = 50 MPa. These conditions would produce a radial stress gradient in an isotropic elastic cylinder. Mechanical twins in the deformed calcite samples had a hexagonal distribution in the 0001 oriented cylinder and an orthorhombic distribution in the oriented cylinder.Zones of dense r-slip dislocations were observed in the cylinder. Calculated resolved shear stresses for r-slip in either cylinder remained far below the published critical resolved shear stress (c.r.s.s.) value. Calculated contributions from twinning back stress and anisotropy do not account for the difference between the resolved shear stress and the c.r.s.s. These results underscore the necessity of considering dislocation activiation stresses rather than c.r.s.s. in quantitative analyses of heterogeneous of deformation in single crystals.     

Thermal expansion,heat capacity,and entropy of MgO at mantle pressures

The pressure dependence of the Raman spectrum of forsterite was measured over its entire frequency range to over 200 kbar. The shifts of the Raman modes were used to calculate the pressure dependence of the heat capacity, C _v, and entropy, S, by using statistical thermodynamics of the lattice vibrations. Using the pressure dependence of C _v and other previously measured thermodynamic parameters, the thermal expansion coefficient, , at room temperature was calculated from = K _S (T/P) _S C _V/TVK _T, which yields a constant value of ( ln / ln V)_T= 6.1(5) for forsterite to 10% compression. This value is in agreement with ( ln / ln V)_T for a large variety of materials.At 91 kbar, the compression mechanism of the forsterite lattice abruptly changes causing a strong decrease of the pressure derivative of 6 Raman modes accompanied by large reductions in the intensities of all of the modes. This observation is in agreement with single crystal x-ray diffraction studies to 150 kbar and is interpreted as a second order phase transition.     

Mössbauer study of the thermal decomposition of lepidocrocite and characterization of the decomposition products

The lepidocrocite (-FeOOH) to maghemite (-Fe₂O₃), and the maghemite to hematite (-Fe₂O₃) transition temperatures have been monitored by TGA and DSC measurements for four initial -FeOOH samples with different particle sizes. The transition temperature of -FeOOH to -Fe₂O₃ and the size of the resulting particles were not affected by the particle size of the parent lepidocrocite. In contrast, the -Fe₂O₃ to -Fe₂O₃ transition temperature seems to depend on the amount of excess water molecules present in the parent lepidocrocite. Thirteen products obtained by heating for one hour at selected temperatures, were considered. Powder X-ray diffraction was used to qualify their composition and to determine their mean crystallite diameters. Transmission electron micrographs revealed the particle morphology. The Mössbauer spectra at 80 K and room temperature of the mixed and pure decomposition products generally had to be analyzed with a distribution of hyperfine fields and, where appropriate, with an additional quadrupole-splitting distribution. The Mössbauer spectra at variable temperature between 4.2 and 400 K of two single-phase -Fe₂O₃ samples with extremely small particles show the effect of superparamagnetism over a very broad temperature range. Only at the lowest temperatures (T55 K), two distributed components were resolved from the magnetically split spectra. In the external-field spectra the m_I=0 transitions have not vanished. This effect is an intrinsic property of the maghemite particles, indicating a strong spin canting with respect to the applied-field direction. The spectra are successfully reproduced using a bidimensional-distribution approach in which both the canting angle and the magnetic hyperfine field vary within certain intervals. The observed distributions are ascribed to the defect structure of the maghemites (unordered vacancy distribution on B-sites, large surface-to-bulk ratio, presence of OH^- groups). An important new finding is the correlation between the magnitude of the hyperfine field and the average canting angle for A-site ferric ions, whereas the B-site spins show a more uniform canting. The Mössbauer parameters of the two hematite samples with MCD₁₀₄ values of respectively 61.0 and 26.5 nm display a temperature variation which is very similar to that of small-particle hematites obtained from thermal decomposition of goethite. However, for a given MCD the Morin transition temperature for the latter samples is about 30 K lower. This has tentatively been ascribed to the different mechanisms of formation, presumably resulting in slightly larger lattice parameters for the hematite particles formed from goethite, thus shifting the Morin transition to lower temperatures.Senior Research Associate, National Fund for Scientific Research (Belgium)     

Johillerit,Na(Mg,Zn)3 Cu(AsO4)3, ein neues Mineral aus Tsumeb,Namibia

Zusammenfassung Die chemische Analyse des neuen Minerals Johillerit mit der Elektronenmikrosonde ergab: Na₂O 5,4, MgO 18,3, ZnO 5,4, CuO 15,8 und As₂O₅ 55,8, Summe 100.7%. Aus diesem Ergebnis wurde die idealisierte Formel Na(Mg, Zn)₃ Cu(AsO₄)₃ abgeleitet. Johillerit ist monoklin mit der RaumgruppeC2/c. Die Gitterkonstanten sind:a=11,870 (3),b=12,755 (3),c=6,770 (2) , =113,42 (2)°,Z=4. Die stärksten Linien des Pulverdiagramms sind: 4,06 (5) (22 ), 3,50 (4) (310), 3,25 (8) (11 ), 2,75 (10) (330, 240), 2,64 (5) (311, 13 , 40 ), 1,952 (4) (13 , 35 ), 1,682 (4) (20 , 460), 1,660 (5) (40 , 71 , 550, 64 ), 1,522 (4) (442, 153, 13 ). Es bestehen enge strukturelle Beziehungen zwischen Johillerit und O'Danielit, Na(Zn, Mg)₃H₂(AsO₄)₃, sowie einigen synthetischen. Verbindungen.Johillerit ist violett durchscheinend. Die Spaltbarkeit nach {010} ist ausgezeichnet und nach {100} und {001} gut.H (Mohs)3.D=4,15 undD _X =4,21 g·cm^–3. Das Mineral ist optisch zweiachsig positiv, 2V80 (5)°. Die Werte der Lichtbrechung sindn =1,715 (4),n =1,743 (4) undn =1,783 (4). Die Auslöschung istn b und auf (010)n c16°. Johillerit ist stark pleochroitisch mit den AchsenfarbenX=violett-rot,Y = blauviolett undZ = grünblau. Das neue Mineral kommt in radialstrahligen Massen gemeinsam mit kupferhaltigem Adamin und Konichalcit in zersetzem Kupfererz von Tsumeb, Namibia, vor. Die Benennung erfolgte nach Prof. Dr.J.-E. Hiller (1911–1972).

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Johillerite, Na(Mg, Zn) ₃ Cu(AsO ₄ ) ₃ , a new mineral from Tsumeb, Namibia

Summary Electron microprobe analysis of the new mineral johillerite gave Na₂O 5.4, MgO 18.3, ZnO 5.4, CuO 15.8, and As₂O₅ 55.8, total 100.7%. From this result, the ideal formula is given as Na(Mg, Zn)₃ Cu(AsO₄)₃. Johillerite crystallizes monoclinic,C2/c. The unit cell dimensions are:a=11.870(3),b=12.755 (3),c=6.770 (2) , =113.42 (2)°,Z=4. The strongest lines on the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are: 4,06 (5) (22 ), 3,50 (4) (310), 3,25 (8) (11 ), 2,75 (10) (330, 240), 2,64 (5) (311, 13 , 40 ), 1,952 (4) (13 , 35 ), 1,682 (4) (20 , 460), 1,660 (5) (40 , 71 , 550, 64 ), 1,522 (4) (442, 153, 13 ). There is a close relationship between johillerite, o'danielite, Na(Zn, Mg)₃H₂(AsO₄)₃, and some synthetic compounds. Johillerite is violet in colour, transparent. Cleavage is {010} perfect, {100} and {001} good.H (Mohs)3.D=4.15 andD _X =4.21 g·cm^–3. The mineral is optically biaxial positive, 2V80 (5)°. The refractive indices are:n =1.715 (4),n =1.743 (4),n =1.783 (4). The extinction isn b and on (010)n c16°. Strongly pleochroic with axial coloursX=violet-red,Y=bluish violet andZ=greenish blue. The new mineral was found in radiated masses together with cuprian adamite and conichalcite in an oxidized copper ore from Tsumeb, Namibia. It is named in honour of Prof. Dr.J.-E. Hiller (1911–1972).

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Mit 1 Abbildung     

High-temperature creep and kinetic decomposition of Ni2SiO4

To investigate high-temperature creep and kinetic decomposition of nickel orthosilicate (Ni₂SiO₄), aggregates containing 3 vol% amorphous SiO₂ have been deformed in uniaxial compression at a total pressure of one atomsphere. Twenty-three samples with grain sizes (d) from 9 to 30 m were deformed at temperatures (T) from 1573 to 1813 K, differential stresses () from 3 to 20 MPa, and oxygen fugacities (f o ₂) from 10^-1 to 10⁵ Pa. At temperatures up to 1773 K, the steady-state creep rate () can be described by the flow law

Electrical conductivity,thermopower and <Superscript>57</Superscript>Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of aegirine (NaFeSi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript>)

DC and AC electrical conductivities were measured on samples of two different crystals of the mineral aegirine (NaFeSi₂O₆) parallel () and perpendicular () to the [001] direction of the clinopyroxene structure between 200 and 600 K. Impedance spectroscopy was applied (20 Hz–1 MHz) and the bulk DC conductivity _DC was determined by extrapolating AC data to zero frequency. In both directions, the log _DC – 1/T curves bend slightly. In the high- and low-temperature limits, differential activation energies were derived for measurements [001] of E_A 0.45 and 0.35 eV, respectively, and the numbers [001] are very similar. The value of _DC [001] with _DC(300 K) 2.0 × 10^{–6 –1}cm^–1 is by a factor of 2–10 above that measured [001], depending on temperature, which means anisotropic charge transport. Below 350 K, the AC conductivity () (/2=frequency) is enhanced relative to _DC for both directions with an increasing difference for rising frequencies on lowering the temperature. An approximate power law for () is noted at higher frequencies and low temperatures with () ^s, which is frequently observed on amorphous and disordered semiconductors. Scaling of () data is possible with reference to _DC, which results in a quasi-universal curve for different temperatures. An attempt was made to discuss DC and AC results in the light of theoretical models of hopping charge transport and of a possible Fe²⁺ Fe³⁺ electron hopping mechanism. The thermopower (Seebeck effect) in the temperature range 360 K < T <770 K is negative in both directions. There is a linear – 1/T relationship above 400 K with activation energy E 0.030 eV [001] and 0.070 eV [001]. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was applied to detect Fe²⁺ in addition to the dominating concentration of Fe³⁺.     

Cell parameters of thermally treated anorthite. Al,Si configurations in the average structures of the high temperature calcic plagioclases

Thermal treatments of anorthite carried out at up to 1,547° C show that the unit cell parameter changes as a function of the treatment temperature. The best fit curve found by non-linear least squares analysis is: =91.419-(0.327·10^-6)T ²+(0.199·10^-12)T ⁴-(0.391·10)T ⁶. The results obtained support significant Al,Si disorder (Al0.10, where Al=t ₁(0)-1/3 [t ₁(m)+t ₂(0)+t ₂(m)], Ribbe 1975), in anorthite equilibrated near the melting point and confirm a high temperature series differentiated from the low temperature series for calcic plagioclases in the An₈₅–An₁₀₀ range also. In the plot vs. An-content the high and low temperature curves intersect at An₈₅ composition and progressively diverge in the An₈₅–An₁₀₀ range. The trends of the high and low temperature curves in this range are interpretable on the basis of the degree of Al, Si order in the average structures of calcic plagioclases.     

Dynamics of the α-β phase transitions in quartz and cristobalite as observed by in-situ high temperature 29Si and 17O NMR

Relaxation times (T₁) and lineshapes were examined as a function of temperature through the - transition for ²⁹Si in a single crystal of amethyst, and for ²⁹Si and ¹⁷O in cristobalite powders. For single crystal quartz, the three ²⁹Si peaks observed at room temperature, representing each of the three differently oriented SiO₄ tetrahedra in the unit cell, coalesce with increasing temperature such that at the - transition only one peak is observed. ²⁹Si T₁'s decrease with increasing temperature up to the transition, above which they remain constant. Although these results are not uniquely interpretable, hopping between the Dauphiné twin related configurations, ₁ and ₂, may be the fluctuations responsible for both effects. This exchange becomes observable up to 150° C below the transition, and persists above the transition, resulting in -quartz being a time and space average of ₁ and ₂. ²⁹Si T₁'s for isotopically enriched powdered cristobalite show much the same behavior as observed for quartz. In addition, ¹⁷O T₁'s decrease slowly up to the - transition at which point there is an abrupt 1.5 order of magnitude drop. Fitting of static powder ¹⁷O spectra for cristobalite gives an asymmetry parameter () of 0.125 at room T, which decreases to <0.040 at=" the=" transition=" temperature.=" the=" electric=" field=" gradient=" (efg)=" and=" chemical=" shift=" anisotropy=" (csa),=" however,=" remain=" the=" same,=" suggesting=" that=" the=" decrease=" in="> is caused by a dynamical rotation of the tetrahedra below the transition. Thus, the mechanisms of the - phase transitions in quartz and cristobalite are similar: there appears to be some fluctuation of the tetrahedra between twin-related orientations below the transition temperature, and the -phase is characterized by a dynamical average of the twin domains on a unit cell scale.     

Unilateral ARMA processes on a square net by the herringbone method

Because multidimensional ARMA processes have great potential for the simulation of geological parameters such as aquifer permeability, it was important to resolve which of two proposed alternative methods should be used for determining the two-dimensional weighting parameter, , for a unilateral ARMA (1, 0) process on a square net. Practical simulations demonstrates that the correct formulation is: =₁₀/(1+ ₁₀ ² where _r,s is the correlation between lattice points at lagsr and s. When the simulations are performed with correlations of 0.8 or more a residual bias was detected which was found to be caused by a difference in the variance between the one- and two-dimensional models. This can be rectified by modifying the two- dimensional model as follows: z_ij=(z_{i–1, j} + z_{i, j–1}) + a_ij where ²=1/(1 + ₁₀ ² ).     

X-Ray investigations on the deformation of experimentally shock-loaded quartzes

Quartz single crystals submitted to dynamic pressures higher than 200 kbar show intensive anisotropic postshock cell expansions and lattice disordering which gradually increase along with the degree of shock compression. Maximum expansion and lattice distortion occur parallel to [10.0] followed by [21.0] and [20.1], whereas the lowest expansion rates and comparatively little lattice damage can be observed parallel to [10.2] and [00.1]. [10.0], [21.0], and [20.1] represent short Burgers vectors within the quartz lattice. They are probably preferred directions of a structure-controlled deformation.Annealing experiments carried out at 300, 605 and 900 ° C make the expanded cell parameters approach the values of unshocked quartz. Two different types of recrystallization can be observed:

Mechanisms of the transformations between the α, β and γ polymorphs of Mg2SiO4 at 15 GPa

Data on the mechanisms of mantle phase transformations have come primarily from studies of analogue systems reacted experimentally at low pressures. In order to study transformation mechanisms in Mg₂SiO₄ at mantle pressures, forsterite () has been reacted in the stability field of -phase, at 15 GPa and temperatures up to 900° C, using a multianvil split-sphere apparatus. Transmission electron microscope studies of samples reacted for times ranging from 0.25–5.0 h show that forsterite transforms to -phase by an incoherent nucleation and growth mechanism involving nucleation on olivine grain boundaries. This mechanism and the resultant microstructures are very similar to those observed at much lower pressures in analogue systems (Mg₂GeO₄ and Ni₂SiO₄) as the result of the olivine to spinel () transformation. Metastable spinel () also forms from Mg₂SiO₄ olivine at 15 GPa, in addition to -phase, by the incoherent nucleation and growth mechanism. With time, the spinel progressively transforms to the stable -phase. After 1 h, spinels exhibit a highly striated microstructure along {110} and electron diffraction patterns show streaking parallel to [110] which indicates a high degree of structural disorder. High resolution imaging shows that the streaking results from thin lamellae of -phase intergrown with the spinel. The two phases have the orientation relationship [001]//[001] and [010]//[110] so that the quasi cubic-close-packed oxygen sublattices are continuous between both phases. These microstructures are similar to those observed in shocked meteorites and show that spinel transforms to -phase by a martensitic (shear) mechanism. There is also evidence that the mechanism changes to one involving diffusion-controlled growth at conditions close to equilibrium.