An experimental tool to look in a magma chamber
Résumé
Understanding the physical and geochemical processes occurring in the volcanoes roots is one of the fundamental tasks of research in the experimental petrology community. This requires experimental tools able to create confining conditions appropriate for magma chambers and conduits. However, the characterization of some natural magmatic processes requires more than a blink experimental approach, to be rigorously studied. In some cases, the in situ approach is the only one issue, because it permits the observation of processes (crystallization of mineral phases, bubble growth...) and their kinetic studies. Here we present a powerful tool, a transparent internally heated autoclave. With this apparatus, pressures (up to 0.3 GPa) and temperatures (up to 900°C) appropriate for subvolcanic magma reservoirs can be obtained. Because it is equipped with transparent sapphire windows, either images or movies can be recorded during an experiment. The pressure medium is Argon, and heating is achieved by a W winding placed into the pressure vessel. Pressure and temperature are calibrated using both well known melting points (eg. salts, metals) and phase transitions (AgI), either at room temperature or at medium and high temperatures. During an experiment, the experimental charge is held between two thick windows of diamond, placed in the furnace cylinder. The experimental volume is about 1 mm3. The observation and numeric record are made along the horizontal axis, through the windows. This apparatus is currently used for studies of nucleation and growth of gas bubbles in a silicate melt. The first results will be presented at the meeting.