My research revolves around the use of experimental high-pressure, high-temperature apparatus to solve mineralogical and petrological problems in Earth and Planetary Science.
The high-pressure lab at VU University Amsterdam was established in 2006 and contains a University of Bristol end-loaded piston cylinder press (for experiments between 1 and 3 GPa), a QuickPress (for experiments between 0.5 and 4 GPa), a 800 ton multi-anvil press (for experiments up to 25 GPa), and a 1 atm gas mixing furnace (for experiments at controlled oxygen fugacity conditions).
With the help of those, we study phase petrology and the systematics of trace element partitioning between silicate minerals, silicate or iron alloy melts, and water-rich fluids.
We are also using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and absorption techniques at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY, Hamburg), and the Advanced Photon Source (APS, Chicago),
for in situ measurements of physical and chemical properties of minerals and melts at high pressure and temperature.
Current research projects include
Experiments and computer simulations to constrain mineral-water partitioning of trace elements in subduction zone settings (funded by NWO)
Experimental constraints on the composition and evolution of the Moon (funded by a European Young Investigator (EURYI) award and by NWO)
Stable isotope partitioning between metal and silicate (funded by NWO)
More information about these projects and the people that are doing the actual hard work can be found on the team member pages
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