hydrogen partitioning between postperovskite and bridgmanite

Abstract:

We present new results from first-principles calculations of phonon spectra of lower mantle phases of MgSiO3 bridgmanite (brg) and postperovskite (ppv) including hydrous defects, and alumino-hydrous defects. We compute the partition coefficient of hydrogen between ppv and brg for hydrous and alumino-hydrous compositions at D" pressures and temperatures from first-principles lattice dynamics simulations and free energy calculations computed under the quasiharmonic approximation. We find that for aluminum free hydrous conditions the hydrogen partition coefficient between ppv and brg ranges from 0.2-0.8 within D". However, in the presence of aluminum the aluminum-hydrogen partition coefficient between ppv and brg is approximately 1.5. In general for a given pressure, lower temperature increases the partitioning of hydrogen into ppv for the aluminous models, but not for the aluminum free models. Because aluminum is is expected to occur in both natural slab and mantle compositions this suggests aluminous-hydrous ppv may be a host for water in D".