Inner Core iron atom motion model

A study led by the Jackson School of Geosciences and collaborators in China found that certain groupings of iron atoms in the Earth’s inner core are able to move about rapidly, changing their places in a split second while maintaining the underlying metallic structure of the iron — a type of movement known as “collective motion” that’s akin to dinner guests changing seats at a table. A clip from a scientific model created by the researchers shows how a selection of iron atoms are expected to move about in the Earth’s inner core over 10 picoseconds.(One picosecond is one trillionth of a second.) The lines represent the path of the atom as it moves over time. More about the research: Credit: Zhang et al.