Thermodynamic datasets and models of planetary interiors

Sound velocity and acoustic attenuation measurements of mantle minerals and aggregates will be combined with literature phase relations and experimental petrology results to produce visco-elastic and rheological models of telluric planetary mantles. Integration of material properties, thermo-chemical parameters and geophysical observations into a thermodynamically consistent model, will provide robust results. In particular, driven by the new geophysical evidences collected by InSight, it will be possible to produce thermo-chemical models of Martian mantle by inverting geodetic and seismic observations.

The P-V-T equation of state acquired for solid and liquid Fe-alloys, and results from sound velocity measurements, will be implemented in a thermodynamic model, taking into account the determined melting curves and phase relations in multicomponent systems. When available, literature results from ab initio simulations will also be used to complete this set of thermodynamic data. Therefore, it will be possible to produce forward models of telluric planetary core, quantifying density, velocity, adiabatic temperature gradient as a function of P, T and composition. The resulting thermodynamic consistent model will also significantly improve the reliability of planetary core parameterization models, with direct implications on the core crystallization regime and on models describing internal magnetic field generation.