Miscibility, or the ability of two (liquid) phases to mix homogeneously, is highly temperature dependent. Within the pressure and temperature conditions of Earth's interior, metals and silicates are immiscible, which allowed differentiation of the metallic core from the silicate mantle during planet formation. The state of chemical mixing within planetary bodies and other solar system objects have profound effects on their structure and evolution,  from surface to core.

The contentious melting curve of Fe at high pressures has long plagued the deep-Earth community. Perhaps more important is determining the melting temperature of the iron-light  element mixture in the outer core, which sets TCMB. Elastic properties are nonunique in determining the light element in the core, but partitioning of light elements between the molten and coexisting solid alloy is sensitive to interactions between the light elements. Taking advantage of thermal gradients in diamond-anvil cells and 2D temperature mapping, we can effectively simulate solidification at the ICB in the lab. 

[Fe-Si-O immiscibility publication]

Despite being the tenth most abundant element in the galaxy and the fifth most abundant element in the Earth by mass, sulfur's properties at high pressures and high temperatures remain poorly understood. Sulfur undergoes drastic changes in opacity, amorphizes, metallizes, and goes through liquid-liquid phase transitions. These exotic transitions warrant further study especially when considering sulfur-rich planetary bodies, e.g. Io-like.

[Sulfur melting curve publication; more forthcoming]

Alkali halides (KBr, NaCl, KCl, CsCl, etc.) are nominally insulators at ambient conditions. However, at modest pressures (10-70 GPa), and high temperatures, KBr becomes opaque. The opaque KBr exhibits total absorption in the visible and significant reflectivity, indicating a semiconducting nature. The defect-induced coloration is temperature-quenched, but does not quench upon decompression to 0 GPa. These salts are commonly used as insulation layers in LHDAC experiments, likely resulting in erroneous temperature measurements caused by the absorbing salts. 

[KBr F-center publication]

Glasses are unstable in nature. While they appear to be identical to the liquid structurally, they are kinetically frozen. We find that pressure-amorphized CaSiO3 and melt-quenched amorphous CaSiO3 exhibit identical, smoothly varying sound speeds and refractive indices from 0 to 45 GPa, indicating a robust free energy surface for all CaSiO3 glasses. Our results represent experimental evidence for well-defined thermodynamic states in an amorphous solid. 

[Amorphous CaSiO3 publication]