Thermal Conductivity Measurements of H2O-Methanol Mixtures at High Pressure Using Time Domain Thermoreflectance

Abstract:

It has been proposed that the presence of methanol, a possible anti-freeze compound, in the primordial oceans in icy moons may affect the internal thermal evolution and the crystallization of primordial oceans. We have measured the thermal conductivity of H2O alloyed with methanol at high pressure and room temperature using time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) combined with diamond anvil cell techniques. The TDTR utilizes ultrafast optical pulses to pump and probe the dynamics of thermal diffusion, enabling precise measurements of thermal conductivity under extreme conditions. We found that the addition of methanol into the H2O suppresses the effective thermal conductivity of H2O-methanol compound. We will discuss geophysical implications of these measurements to the thermal evolution within the icy moons.