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| VOLUME 96 (2012) | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 135 |
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Metallic layer inside the Earth's lower mantle
S. G. Ovchinnikov+*, T. M. Ovchinnikova×, P. G. Dyad'kov°, V. V. Plotkin°, K. D. Litasov∇
+Kirensky Institute of Physics SB RAS, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia *Siberian Federal University, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia ×Sukhachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia °Trofimuk Institute of Petrolium-Gas Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia ∇Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
Abstract
We predict the insulator-metal-insulator transitions for the temperature and pressure of the lower mantle with the metal layer thickness  km at the depth of 1400-1800 km. The insulator-metal
transition has the Mott-Hubbard origin, while the second transition from
metal to insulator results from spin crossover of the Fe2+ ions from
high spin S=2 to low spin S=0 state. The conductivity in the metal layer
may attain 250 S/m. The depth profile of the conductivity is also suggested.
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