Mineral Physics I. Static properties of minerals.
Content
1. Advanced crystallography: symmetry operations in matrix forms, group theory and space groups, crystalline structures, multidimensional crystallography
2. Energy of a crystalline structure: introduction in density-functional theory, computations of energy, electron density distribution, numerical simulations
3. Phase diagrams : introduction to thermodynamics, thermodynamical potentials, enthalpy variation under pressure, transition pressure
4. Mechanical properties: compressibility and equations of state, elastic constants tensor, seismic wave velocities, relations to seismic observables
5. Electronic and magnetic properties: insulators and metals, origins of color, magnetism and magnetic spin transitions
Practical exercises on the supercomputers of the Centre Blaise Pascal of ENS Lyon.
