Sequestration of helium and xenon via iron-halide compounds in early Earth

Zhang Jurong; Liu Hanyu; Chen Changfeng; Ma Yanming

doi:10.1063/5.0164149

Volume 9 Issue 3

May 2024

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Zhang Jurong, Liu Hanyu, Chen Changfeng, Ma Yanming. Sequestration of helium and xenon via iron-halide compounds in early Earth[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2024, 9(3): 037403. doi: 10.1063/5.0164149

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Zhang Jurong, Liu Hanyu, Chen Changfeng, Ma Yanming. Sequestration of helium and xenon via iron-halide compounds in early Earth[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2024, 9(3): 037403. doi: 10.1063/5.0164149

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Sequestration of helium and xenon via iron-halide compounds in early Earth

doi: 10.1063/5.0164149

Zhang Jurong^{1, 2
,},
Liu Hanyu^{1, 3
,
,
,},
Chen Changfeng^4
,,
Ma Yanming^{1, 3
,
,}

1.
Key Laboratory of Material Simulation Methods and Software of Ministry of Education and State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
2.
School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
3.
International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
4.
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: lhy@calypso.cn
Received Date: 2023-06-21
Accepted Date: 2024-02-23

Available Online: 2024-05-01

Publish Date: 2024-05-01

Abstract

Abstract

The terrestrial abundance anomalies of helium and xenon suggest the presence of deep-Earth reservoirs of these elements, which has led to great interest in searching for materials that can host these usually unreactive elements. Here, using an advanced crystal structure search approach in conjunction with first-principles calculations, we show that several Xe/He-bearing iron halides are thermodynamically stable in a broad region of P–T phase space below 60 GPa. Our results present a compelling case for sequestration of He and Xe in the early Earth and may suggest their much wider distribution in the present Earth than previously believed. These findings offer insights into key material-based and physical mechanisms for elucidating major geological phenomena.

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References(47)

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