Abstract from PhD proposal:

The viscosity of the inner core is constrained to first-order by the diffusion coefficient of iron under core conditions, which comprises the bulk of the inner core. Constraining the viscosity of the inner core is crucial to understanding the structure and dynamics of the inner core. Observed seismic anisotropy of the inner core requires some mechanism of deformation or anisotropic formation that has structured the core in such a way to produce seismic anisotropy. In addition, the mechanism responsible for anisotropy must maintain that structure over billions of years. Regardless of the mechanism of deformation in the inner core, knowledge of the diffusion coefficient in the iron-nickel alloy system is necessary to make any predictions on that mechanism.


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