Raymond Jeanloz

[4][10][3] Jeanloz was an early researcher in mineral physics, and was one of those who proposed the field for recognition by the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

[21][22][14][15] Jeanloz studies planetary interiors and the properties of materials at high pressures to characterize the processes by which planets evolve over geological time periods.

[4] Jeanloz has examined the properties and state equations of materials including alkali halides, alkaline-earth monoxides, silicate perovskite and iron.

[15] Jeanloz has created tools and experiments that enable him to recreate and study deep interior conditions in a laboratory setting, often by generating extremely high pressure in tiny amounts.

[15] By combining dynamic laser-induced shock waves and static diamond anvils, Jeanloz has found ways to study the behavior of materials at pressures that could range from millions to billions of atmospheres.

[4][27] His research group is best known for experiments documenting that bridgmanite,[28] a high-pressure form of (Mg,Fe)SiO3, is the primary material making up Earth’s interior.

[16] They also found evidence for chemical reactions between the rocky mantle and metallic core, likely making the core-mantle boundary one of Earth’s most dynamic regions.

They have determined that helium and hydrogen can form a metallic liquid alloy at the extreme pressures that occur at the cores of Jupiter and Saturn.

[34] In another collaboration Jeanloz has studied the behavior of a novel superionic form of water ice, one that is simultaneously liquid and solid and can conduct electricity as if it was a metal.

[35][36] His group’s experiments have also pioneered the discovery of crystal instabilities causing strain-induced amorphization and fracture-like processes, leading to new insights on how materials break.