DIX Planetary Science Seminar

Planets are made up of a combination of iron, rock, ice, and gas. Typically, these combinations are viewed in terms of distinct layers, such as the Earth's rocky mantle and iron-rich core, or the gaseous envelope surrounding a denser core in Jupiter, with little chemical interaction between them. This view is increasingly being challenged by new observations, including precision gravity and ring seismology, developments in the theory of planet formation that feature hotter beginnings, and new results from quantum mechanical simulations. I will show emerging evidence from our simulations for extensive chemical reaction between major planet forming materials at the pressure-temperature conditions of planetary interiors. I will also explore the implications of these findings for our understanding of the evolution of exoplanets, including super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, and for planets in our own solar system, including Uranus and Neptune. Finally, I will discuss connections to ongoing and planned missions, including JWST and Uranus Orbiter and Probe, and prospects for experimental measurement of miscibility at extreme conditions.