Abstract
The viscosities of albite (NaAlSi3O8) melt under high pressures have beenmeasured using an x-ray radiography falling sphere method with synchrotronradiation. This method has enabled us to determine the precise sinking velocitydirectly. Recent experiments of albite melt showed the presence of a viscosityminimum around 5 GPa (Poe et al1997 Science 276 1245, Mori et al2000 EarthPlanet. Sci. Lett. 175 87). We present the results for albite melt up to 5.2GPa at 1600 and 1700°C. The viscosity minimum is clearly observed tobe around 4.5 GPa, and it might be explained not by the change of thecompression mechanism in albite melt but by change of the phase itself.
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