We would like to alert you to our session at this year's Goldschmidt conference (Prague,  August 14-19, 2011) which seeks discussion of theoretical and computational methods to understand how high pressure effects the origins and evolution of planets, the dynamics and structure of Earth's interior, and impact processes. A session description is given below.

Please consider submitting an abstract. Information about the meeting can be found at http://www.goldschmidt2011.org/index and abstract submissions close on April 15, 2011.

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9h: High Pressure Behavior from Impacts to Interiors
Convenors: Nico de Koker, Kanani Lee

Keynote: Burkhard Militzer (University of California, Berkeley)

The behavior of materials at high pressure is important for understanding the origins and evolution of planets, the dynamics and structure of Earth's interior, and impact processes. High pressure presents unique challenges because it is difficult to replicate in the laboratory. Over the last decade ab initio theory has grown to be a powerful complement to the experimental approach. Theory is not limited by extreme conditions and serves as a source of additional insight into the fundamental origins of physical behavior. Theory has made important contributions to our understanding of phase transitions, including the discovery of the post-perovskite phase, insulator-metal transitions, spin transitions such as the high-spin to low-spin transition in transition metal oxides, and in elucidating the role of core electrons in high pressure chemistry. We welcome contributions focused on any aspect of high pressure behavior from any of the wide range of ab initio and semi-empirical theoretical techniques that have been applied in this regime.

Kanani K. M. Lee & Nico de Koker

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Kanani K. M. Lee
Assistant Professor
Yale University
Department of Geology & Geophysics
Kline Geology Laboratory, Room 207
210 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
email: kanani.lee@yale.edu
telephone: (203) 432-4354
fax: (203) 432-3134
http://earth.geology.yale.edu/~kkl2/