Get the latest Science News and Discoveries
Grain boundaries weaken in planetary interiors - EurekAlert
Quantum mechanical simulations were carried out to investigate the mechanical behavior and thermodynamics of tilt grain boundaries in (Mg,Fe)O, one of the most abundant minerals in deep mantles of (super-)Earths. This study demonstrated that iron prefers specific grain boundary sites, affecting its electronic spin transition within the interfaces. Grain boundary mobility was found to vary significantly with pressure. Surprisingly, strong grain boundary weakening was observed with increasing depth, particularly under pressure conditions within super-Earths.
None
Or read this on Eureka Alert