Dr. Raymond Jeanloz

Biography

Raymond Jeanloz's group studies the nature and evolution of planetary interiors, focusing on the properties of materials under high pressures. His work is based on experiments using laser-heated diamond-anvil cells, as well as shock-wave experiments and quantum mechanical calculations to investigate material properties. The group utilizes mineral physics to understand the properties and dynamics of planetary interiors. Jeanloz has contributed to obtaining experimental constraints on the temperature at the core of the Earth and has demonstrated that a single perovskite-structured mineral, stable at pressures of 20 GPa, makes up the bulk of the rocky mantle. He has shown that the deep mantle chemically reacts with the liquid iron alloy of the outer core, a factor in the dynamic regions at the core-mantle boundary. His investigations into carbon have suggested that diamonds may be forming deep within Neptune and Uranus. His experimental work applies laser-driven compression methods, including shock and multi-shock ramp loading, to samples within pre-compressed diamond-anvil cells, yielding new insights into the chemical bonding of crystals and fluids under extreme planetary conditions. Beyond his scientific research, Jeanloz engages at the interface of science and policy, advising government and industry, while chairing a National Academy of Sciences Committee on International Security and Arms Control, and serving as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

Research Interests