Seminar: Iron Redox and Spin Transitions in Magma Oceans: Clues to the Formation of Habitable Worlds

Abstract:

Processes in a planet’s deep interior shape its atmosphere, surface environment, and ultimately determine whether it can support life. Earth’s mantle is far more oxidized than the materials that built the planet, pointing to powerful redox processes during the early stage, when Earth was largely molten. In this talk, I will present laboratory experiments that recreate the extreme pressures and temperatures of young planets to track how iron changes its oxidation state in magma oceans, potentially creating the oxygen-rich mantles needed for life-supporting atmospheres. I will also show how spin transitions—subtle electronic rearrangements in iron atoms at great depth—affect heat flow and mantle chemistry. Together, these studies reveal how deep processes help set the stage for surface habitability and offer new clues for assessing the potential for life on rocky exoplanets.