Thermal diffusivity of mantle (Pyrolite) minerals at temperatures between room temperature and melting point (300–1700 K)

Abstract

An original experimental apparatus developed at the Geothermometry Laboratory of the Faculty of Physics of the MSU was used to measure the thermal diffusivity of several mantle minerals over a wide temperature range, extending up to the melting point. Application of the temperature wave method made it possible to account for the radiative heat transfer from the sample surface into ambient space and, thus, to achieve high accuracy in measuring this important thermal characteristic for each substance.