Working with magnesium germanate, Mg2GeO4, analogous to one of the mantle’s most abundant silicate minerals, the team was able to glean information about the potential mineralogy of super-Earths and other large, rocky exoplanets. Under about 2 million times normal atmospheric pressure a new phase emerged with a distinct crystalline structure that involves one germanium bonded with eight oxygens. The new eight-coordinated, intrinsically discorded mineral is expected to strongly affect the internal temperature and dynamics of these planets. Illustration is courtesy of Rajkrishna Dutta.
