Electrical Conductivity of Iron in Earth's Core from Microscopic Ohm's Law

TL;DR

This paper uses advanced theoretical simulations to estimate iron's electrical conductivity under Earth's core conditions, aiding geophysical understanding and resolving experimental discrepancies.

Contribution

It introduces a microscopic Ohm's law approach based on time-dependent density functional theory to predict iron's conductivity at core conditions.

Findings

Predicted electrical conductivity aligns with some experimental data.

Provides new insights into iron's transport properties at high pressures and temperatures.

Helps reconcile conflicting experimental results.

Abstract

Understanding the electronic transport properties of iron under high temperatures and pressures is essential for constraining geophysical processes. The difficulty of reliably measuring these properties under Earth-core conditions calls for sophisticated theoretical methods that can support diagnostics. We present results of the electrical conductivity within the pressure and temperature ranges found in Earth's core from simulating microscopic Ohm's law using time-dependent density functional theory. Our predictions provide a new perspective on resolving discrepancies in recent experiments.