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Ross J. Angel Research Professor of Crystallography
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Office: 3076 Derring Hall Phone: (540) 231-7974 Fax: (540) 231-3386 |
Research Areas
Crystal physics and crystal chemistry of minerals and high-pressure phases; Equations of state, structural phase transitions, and cation ordering. High-pressure crystallography, especially applied to the study of structural phase transitions in minerals and synthetic materials. The development of single-crystal diffraction methods for high-pressure crystallography.
Research Interests
The details of the arrangement of the atoms within a solid determine its physical, mechanical, thermodynamic, and chemical properties. The pressures and temperatures at which phase transitions occur within minerals, or transformations occur between minerals, are dependent upon these properties. In order to develop an understanding of both the deep Earth and of synthetic materials used in physics and engineering, we determine the atomic structures of materials by various diffraction methods at both room conditions and under high pressures.
Research Facilities
The crystallography laboratory of the department has been re-established. The laboratory includes two four-circle diffractometers customised for single-crystal X-ray diffraction with diamond-anvil cells. One is a kappa-geometry diffractometer from Oxford Diffraction used to collect intensity data that allows the determination of crystal structures. The second is a customised Eulerian-cradle design from Huber Diffraktionstechnik GmbH, optimised for extremely precise measurements of lattice parameters of crystals held at high-pressures in diamond-anvil cells. A selection of diamond-anvil cells suitable for single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, and capable of generating pressures in excess of 10 GPa is available, together with the extensive preparation facilities necessary for their use.Student and Postdoctoral Research
High-pressure crystallography, and especially the study of structural phase transitions at high pressures, is a research field still in its infancy. Many of the technological problems have been overcome and there are now excellent opportunities to undertake studies of materials, whether minerals or synthetic materials, under high pressure. We have funding for positions!
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
4044 Derring Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0420
URL: http://www.geol.vt.edu/profs/rja
Last updated: 29 August 2001