Josh Townsend receives 2012 Kraus grant from MSA

Graduate student Joshua Townsend has received the 2012 E.H. Kraus Crystallographic Research Grant from the Mineralogical Society of America for his proposal entitled, “Extra-solar planetary mineralogy: the role of H₂O in crystal structures”. The award of $5000 will support his research in the area of high-pressure mineral physics. Josh is studying reactions between water and silicate minerals at conditions found deep in planetary interiors. His research applies to understanding how planets might incorporate water during their formation and evolve into habitable planets like Earth. Using diamond-anvil cells and brilliant X-rays from the Advanced Photon Source of Argonne National Laboratory, Josh’s experiments seek to produce new hydrous minerals at conditions found deep lower mantle at 1000-3000 km depth. Josh’s research also employs infrared radiation produced at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) of Brookhaven National Laboratory to test how much H₂O has been incorporated into the minerals. To complement his experiments, Josh will be undertaking theoretical studies using density functional theory to model how hydrogen is incorporated into crystal structures at extreme conditions.

To find out more on the award click here.