The Earth's magnetic field, a crucial shield against cosmic radiation and solar wind, arises from the geodynamo effect—a process driven by the dynamic behavior of the planet’s core. While the basic mechanisms of this effect are understood, many details remain unresolved. A research team from the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Sandia National Laboratories in the USA, and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has introduced a groundbreaking simulation method to explore the Earth’s core. Their findings, published in PNAS, offer insights into geophysics and have implications for advancing future technologies such as neuromorphic computing.
At the heart of the geodynamo lies the Earth's core, primarily composed of iron. Attila Cangi, head of CASUS’s Machine Learning for Materials Design department, explains that temperature and pressure conditions vary dramatically within the core. While high temperatures cause materials to melt, immense pressure keeps them solid. Consequently, the outer core remains molten, while the inner core stays solid. Electrically charged, liquid iron flows around the inner core due to Earth's rotation and convection currents, generating electric currents and, subsequently, the magnetic field.
Despite this understanding, questions persist about the exact structure of the core and the role of additional elements besides iron. Seismic wave experiments suggest the presence of other elements, as measurements often conflict with simulations assuming a pure iron core.
Simulating Shock Waves in Earth's Core
The research team achieved a breakthrough with a method called molecular-spin dynamics, which integrates molecular dynamics (modeling atomic motion) and spin dynamics (accounting for magnetic properties). This hybrid approach allows for the study of magnetism under extreme temperature and pressure conditions, previously inaccessible to simulations.
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Using high-performance computing and AI-driven models, the team simulated the behavior of two million iron atoms under core-like conditions. The simulations revealed the effects of shock waves on iron atoms, determining how temperature and pressure influenced their mechanical and magnetic properties. Faster shock waves led to the iron transitioning to a liquid state, while slower waves maintained solid forms with varying crystal structures. Notably, the simulations pointed to the stabilization of a specific iron phase, the bcc phase, under certain conditions—potentially influencing the geodynamo effect.
Advancing Energy-Efficient AI and Materials Science
The molecular-spin dynamics method extends beyond geophysics, with potential applications in materials science and technological innovation. For example, Cangi’s team plans to use the technique to model neuromorphic computing devices. Inspired by the human brain, these systems promise faster and more energy-efficient AI processing. By replicating spin-based neuromorphic systems digitally, the method could accelerate the development of cutting-edge AI hardware.
Magnetic domains along nanowires also present opportunities for advanced data storage, offering faster and more energy-efficient alternatives to current technologies. Cangi notes that accurate simulation methods for such applications are lacking but expresses confidence in the new approach’s ability to realistically model these processes, paving the way for transformative IT innovations.
This dual impact—enhancing understanding of the Earth’s magnetic field while driving energy-efficient technology—highlights the broad potential of the molecular-spin dynamics method.