Isotope fractionation in silicate melts by thermal diffusion

F. Huang, P. Chakraborty, C. C. Lundstrom (), C. Holmden, J. J. G. Glessner, S. W. Kieffer and C. E. Lesher
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F. Huang: University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
P. Chakraborty: University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
C. C. Lundstrom: University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
C. Holmden: University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
J. J. G. Glessner: University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
S. W. Kieffer: University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
C. E. Lesher: University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA

Nature, 2010, vol. 464, issue 7287, 396-400

Abstract: Thermal diffusion in silicate melts described The phenomenon known as thermal diffusion, or the Ludwig–Soret effect, has been investigated for over 150 years, yet an understanding of its physics remains elusive. It refers to the mass diffusion observed when a temperature gradient is applied to a fluid mixture. The impression has grown that thermal diffusion, characterized as the Soret coefficient, ST, is markedly sensitive to a wide variety of parameters, making it almost impossible to establish a universal model. Huang et al. now report novel experimental results that challenge this belief. In a study of isotope fractionation in a silicate melt, they find that for several elements (iron, calcium and magnesium) the difference in Soret coefficient between diffusing isotopes is independent of composition and temperature. They propose an additive decomposition for the functional form of ST and argue that a theoretical approach based on local thermodynamic equilibrium holds promise for describing thermal diffusion in silicate melts and other complex solutions.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08840

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