The geological sciences professor is among 59 fellows elected for outstanding achievements and contributions that push the frontiers of science – an honor that AGU has given to fewer than 0.1% of its members since 1962.
Sulgiye Park, PhD ’18, has been recognized for her PhD and postdoctoral work on understanding a wide array of functional materials at extreme environments.
“We can form all sorts of gemstones potentially in space, as long as you have the right chemistry in the right temperature and conditions,” said Stanford Earth professor Wendy Mao.
A promising lead halide perovskite is great at converting sunlight to electricity, but it breaks down at room temperature. Now scientists have discovered how to stabilize it with pressure from a diamond anvil cell.
“I think the mid-upper mantle would be gorgeous, because it would be olivine green, like 60 percent, and it would also have garnets, these beautiful red cubic minerals,” says Stanford mineral physicist Wendy Mao.
As part an effort to celebrate and discuss identity, four Stanford Earth members share how their Asian American Pacific Islander identities have informed and impacted their careers.
Scientists are still trying to piece together how Earth transformed from a molten planet to one with living creatures walking around on its silicate mantle and crust. Hints lie in the strange ways materials behave under extreme temperatures and pressures.
Wendy Mao edited a new book on the physical and chemical properties of deep carbon, and "we have still only barely scratched the surface in terms of understanding carbon in planetary interiors,” she says.
Researchers have determined how hydrogen molecules are packed at extremely high pressures. Their work solves the long-standing mystery of the structure of the dense form of hydrogen, called phase IV.
A new technique involving pulses of ultrafast, high-power lasers has allowed scientists to see how silicon, an abundant element in Earth's crust, changes under intense pressure.
Mysterious patches on the planet’s core that dampen seismic waves could be the result of ancient seawater chemically reacting with iron under extreme conditions.
A flash of green laser followed by pulses of X-rays, and mere nanoseconds later an extraterrestrial form of ice has formed. The miniature crystal reveals how water solidifies under high pressures, like those expected in icy comets, moons and planets.
Shocking complex metal mixtures with high pressure could lead to desirable properties such as higher heat resistance and allow power plants and engines to run hotter and more efficiently.
