Melting and density of MgSiO₃ determined by shock compression of bridgmanite to 1254GPa

The essential data for interior and thermal evolution models of the Earth and super-Earths are the density and melting of mantle silicate under extreme conditions. Here, we report an unprecedently high melting temperature of MgSiO₃ at 500 GPa by direct shockwave loading of pre-synthesized dense MgSiO₃ (bridgmanite) using the Z Pulsed Power Facility. We also present the first high-precision density data of crystalline MgSiO₃ to 422 GPa and 7200 K and of silicate melt to 1254 GPa. The experimental density measurements support our density functional theory based molecular dynamics calculations, providing benchmarks for theoretical calculations under extreme conditions. The excellent agreement between experiment and theory provides a reliable reference density profile for super-Earth mantles. Furthermore, the observed upper bound of melting temperature, 9430 K at 500 GPa, provides a critical constraint on the accretion energy required to melt the mantle and the prospect of driving a dynamo in massive rocky planets.