Research Focus
Structure of silicate glasses and melts
I work on the atomic scale structure of silicate melts at ambient and high pressure, and its relation to dynamical properties such as viscosity. The tools I use are diamond anvil cells (DACs), vibrational and X-ray spectroscopy techniques, ab initio molecular dynamics and soon also machine learning potentials.
Research Articles (Journals)
- Spiekermann G, Schulze M. The predominance of SiO5 species in MgSiO3 melt at transition zone pressures from a dynamics point of view [Internet]. Chem. Geol.. ;702: Article 123194. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2025.123194.
- Sahle JC, Petitgirard S, Spiekermann G, Sakrowski R, Suomalainen N, Gerbon F, Jacobs J, Watier Y, Sternemann C, Sala MM, Cerantola V. ID20 – opportunities for inelastic X-ray scattering at extreme conditions [Internet]. High Pressure Research. ;44 doi: 10.1080/08957959.2024.2356523.
- Libon L, Spiekermann G, Blanchard I, Kaa MJ, Dominijanni S, Sieber JM, Förster M, Albers C, Morgenroth W, McCammon C, Schreiber A, Roddatis V, Glazyrin K, Husband JR, Hennet L, Appel K, Wilke M. Reevaluating the fate of subducted magnesite in the Earth's lower mantle. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors. ;355 doi: 10.1016/j.pepi.2024.107238.
- Schulze M, Spiekermann G. Fivefold‐Coordinated Silicon in MgSiO3 Melt Accommodates Viscous Flow up to Transition Zone Pressures. Geophysical Research Letters. ;50 doi: 10.1029/2023gl105750.
- Spiekermann G, Sahle JCh, Niskanen J, Gilmore K, Petitgirard S, Sternemann C, Tse SJ, Murakami M. Sensitivity of the Kβ″ X-ray Emission Line to Coordination Changes in GeO2 and TiO2. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. ;14 doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00017.
- Michael KS, Lefèvre P, Zhou W, Braun J, Spiekermann G. Dehydration of Diaspore and Goethite during Low-Temperature Heating as Criterion to Separate Unheated from Heated Rubies and Sapphires. Minerals. ;13 doi: 10.3390/min13121557.
- Ball BO, Prescher C, Appel K, Baehtz C, Baron AM, Briggs R, Cerantola V, Chantel J, Chariton S, Coleman LA, Cynn H, Damker H, Dattelbaum D, Dresselhaus-Marais EL, Eggert HJ, Ehm L, Evans JW, Fiquet G, Frost M, Glazyrin K, Goncharov FA, Husband JR, Hwang H, Jaisle N, Jenei Zs, Kim J-Y, Lee Y, Liermann PH, Mainberger J, Makita M, Marquardt H, McBride EE, McHardy DJ, McMahon IM, Merkel S, Morard G, O’Bannon FE, Otzen C, Pace JE, Pelka A, Pépin MC, Pigott SJ, Plückthun C, Prakapenka BV, Redmer R, Speziale S, Spiekermann G, Strohm C, Sturtevant TB, Talkovski P, Wollenweber L. Dynamic optical spectroscopy and pyrometry of static targets under optical and x-ray laser heating at the European XFEL. Journal of Applied Physics. ;134 doi: 10.1063/5.0142196.
- Kaa MJ, Konôpková Z, Preston RT, Cerantola V, Sahle JC, Förster M, Albers C, Libon L, Sakrowski R, Wollenweber L, Buakor K, Dwivedi A, Mishchenko M, Nakatsutsumi M, Plückthun C, Schwinkendorf J-P, Spiekermann G, Thiering N, Petitgirard S, Tolan M, Wilke M, Zastrau U, Appel K, Sternemann C. A von Hámos spectrometer for diamond anvil cell experiments at the High Energy Density Instrument of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser. J Synchrotron Radiat. ;30 doi: 10.1107/s1600577523003041.
- Albers C, Sakrowski R, Thiering N, Libon L, Spiekermann G, Kaa MJ, Gretarsson H, Sundermann M, Tolan M, Wilke M, Sternemann C. High-efficiency X-ray emission spectroscopy of cold-compressed Fe2O3 and laser-heated pressurized FeCO3 using a von Hámos spectrometer [Internet]. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. ;38 doi: 10.1039/D3JA00014A.
- Allaz MJ, Guillong M, Tavazzani L, Spiekermann G, Zehnder L, Bullock E, DesOrmeau J, Jercinovic JM, Krause J, Marxer F, Nachlas OW, Spratt J. A New Albite Microanalytical Reference Material from Piz Beverin for Na, Al and Si Determination, and the Potential for New K‐Feldspar Reference Materials [Internet]. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research. ;47 doi: 10.1111/ggr.12515.
- Sahle JCh, Gerbon F, Henriquet C, Verbeni R, Detlefs B, Longo A, Mirone A, Lagier M-C, Otte F, Spiekermann G, Petitgirard S. A compact von Hámos spectrometer for parallel X-ray Raman scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy at ID20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. J Synchrotron Radiat. ;30 doi: 10.1107/s1600577522011171.
- Albers C, Sakrowski R, Libon L, Spiekermann G, Winkler B, Schmidt C, Bayarjargal L, Cerantola V, Chariton S, Giordano N, Gretarsson H, Kaa J, Liermann H, Sundermann M, Thiering N, Tolan M, Wilke M, Sternemann C. Fe3+ -hosting carbon phases in the deep Earth [Internet]. Physical Review B. ;105 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.105.085155.
- Kaa MJ, Sternemann C, Appel K, Cerantola V, Preston RT, Albers C, Elbers M, Libon L, Makita M, Pelka A, Petitgirard S, Plückthun C, Roddatis V, Sahle JC, Spiekermann G, Schmidt C, Schreiber A, Sakrowski R, Tolan M, Wilke M, Zastrau U, Konôpková Z. Structural and electron spin state changes in an x-ray heated iron carbonate system at the Earth's lower mantle pressures. Phys. rev. res.. ;4 doi: 10.1103/physrevresearch.4.033042.
- Petitgirard S, Sahle JC, Malfait JW, Spiekermann G, Blanchard I, Jennings SE, Cotte M, Murakami M. Anomalous density, sound velocity, and structure of pressure-induced amorphous quartz [Internet]. Physical Review B. ;105 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.105.134106.
- Spiekermann G, Libon L, Albers C, Sakrowski R, Petitgirard S, Sahle C, Sundermann M, Gretarsson H, Sergueev I, Sternemann C, Wilke M, Murakami M. Reflective imaging, on-axis laser heating and radiospectrometry of samples in diamond anvil cells with a parabolic mirror. High Pressure Research. ;41: 142–154. doi: 10.1080/08957959.2021.1921173.
- Liermann PH, Konôpková Z, Appel K, Prescher C, Schropp A, Cerantola V, Husband JR, McHardy DJ, McMahon IM, McWilliams SR, Pépin MC, Mainberger J, Roeper M, Berghäuser A, Damker H, Talkovski P, Foese M, Kujala N, Ball BO, Baron AM, Briggs R, Bykov M, Bykova E, Chantel J, Coleman LA, Cynn H, Dattelbaum D, Dresselhaus-Marais EL, Eggert HJ, Ehm L, Evans JW, Fiquet G, Frost M, Glazyrin K, Goncharov FA, Hwang H, Jenei Zs, Kim J-Y, Langenhorst F, Lee Y, Makita M, Marquardt H, McBride EE, Merkel S, Morard G, O'Bannon FE, Otzen C, Pace JE, Pelka A, Pigott SJ, Prakapenka BV. Novel experimental setup for megahertz X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell at the High Energy Density (HED) instrument of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL). J Synchrotron Radiat. ;28 doi: 10.1107/s1600577521002551.
- Hwang H, Kim T, Cynn H, Vogt T, Husband JR, Appel K, Baehtz C, Ball BO, Baron AM, Briggs R, Bykov M, Bykova E, Cerantola V, Chantel J, Coleman LA, Dattlebaum D, Dresselhaus-Marais EL, Eggert HJ, Ehm L, Evans JW, Fiquet G, Frost M, Glazyrin K, Goncharov FA, Jenei Z, Kim J, Konôpková Z, Mainberger J, Makita M, Marquardt H, McBride EE, McHardy DJ, Merkel S, Morard G, O’Bannon FE, Otzen C, Pace JE, Pelka A, Pépin MC, Pigott SJ, Prakapenka BV, Prescher C, Redmer R, Speziale S, Spiekermann G, Strohm C, Sturtevant TB, Velisavljevic N, Wilke M, Yoo C-S, Zastrau U. X-ray Free Electron Laser-Induced Synthesis of ε-Iron Nitride at High Pressures. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. ;12 doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c00150.
- Sublett MD, Sendula E, Lamadrid MH, Steele‐MacInnis M, Spiekermann G, Bodnar JR. Raman spectral behavior of N2, CO2, and CH4 in N2–CO2–CH4 gas mixtures from 22°C to 200°C and 10 to 500 bars, with application to other gas mixtures. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy. ;52 doi: 10.1002/jrs.6033.
- Mergner V, Kupenko I, Spiekermann G, Petitgirard S, Libon L, Chariton S, Krug M, Steinbrügge R, Sergueev I, Sanchez-Valle C. Sound Velocities in FeSi at Lower Mantle Conditions and the Origin of Ultralow‐Velocity Zones. Geophysical Research Letters. ;48(14) doi: 10.1029/2020GL092257.
- Krstulović M, Rosa DA, Biedermann N, Spiekermann G, Irifune T, Muñoz M, Wilke M. Ge coordination inNaAlGe3O8glass upon compression to 131 GPa. Physical Review B. ;101 doi: 10.1103/physrevb.101.214103.
- Biedermann N, Bykova E, Morgenroth W, Efthimiopoulos I, Mueller J, Spiekermann G, Glazyrin K, Pakhomova A, Appel K, Wilke M. Equation of state and high-pressure phase behaviour of SrCO3. European Journal of Mineralogy. ;32 doi: 10.5194/ejm-32-575-2020.
- Diaz-Lopez M, Cutts LG, Allan KP, Keeble SD, Ross A, Pralong V, Spiekermann G, Chater AP. Fast <i>operando</i> X-ray pair distribution function using the DRIX electrochemical cell. J Synchrotron Radiat. ;27 doi: 10.1107/s160057752000747x.
- Spiekermann G, Kupenko I, Petitgirard S, Harder M, Nyrow A, Weis C, Albers C, Biedermann N, Libon L, Christoph SJ, Cerantola V, Glazyrin K, Konôpková Z, Sinmyo R, Morgenroth W, Sergueev I, Yavaş H, Dubrovinsky L, Tolan M, Sternemann C, Wilke M. A portable on-axis laser-heating system for near-90° X-ray spectroscopy: application to ferropericlase and iron silicide. J Synchrotron Radiat. ;27 doi: 10.1107/s1600577519017041.
- Sublett MD, Sendula E, Lamadrid H, Steele‐MacInnis M, Spiekermann G, Burruss CR, Bodnar JR. Shift in the Raman symmetric stretching band of N2, CO2, and CH4 as a function of temperature, pressure, and density. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy. ;51 doi: 10.1002/jrs.5805.
- Spiekermann G, Harder M, Gilmore K, Zalden P, Sahle C, Petitgirard S, Wilke M, Biedermann N, Weis C, Morgenroth W, Tse J, Kulik E, Nishiyama N, Yavaş H, Sternemann C. Persistent Octahedral Coordination in Amorphous GeO2 Up to 100 GPa by Kβ′′ X-Ray Emission Spectroscopy. Phys Rev X. ;9 doi: 10.1103/physrevx.9.011025.
- Petitgirard S, Spiekermann G, Glazyrin K, Garrevoet J, Murakami M. Density of amorphous GeO2 to 133 GPa with possible pyritelike structure and stiffness at high pressure. Physical Review B. ;100 doi: 10.1103/physrevb.100.214104.
- Weis C, Spiekermann G, Sternemann C, Harder M, Vankó G, Cerantola V, Sahle JC, Forov Y, Sakrowski R, Kupenko I, Petitgirard S, Yavaş H, Bressler C, Gawelda W, Tolan M, Wilke M. Combining X-ray Kβ1,3, valence-to-core, and X-ray Raman spectroscopy for studying Earth materials at high pressure and temperature: the case of siderite. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. ;34 doi: 10.1039/c8ja00247a.
- Petitgirard S, Sahle C, Weis C, Gilmore K, Spiekermann G, Tse J, Wilke M, Cavallari C, Cerantola V, Sternemann C. Magma properties at deep Earth’s conditions from electronic structure of silica. Geochem. Persp. Let.. ;9 doi: 10.7185/geochemlet.1902.
- Ketenoglu D, Spiekermann G, Harder M, Oz E, Koz C, Yagci CM, Yilmaz E, Yin Z, Sahle JC, Detlefs B, Yavaş H. X-ray Raman spectroscopy of lithium-ion battery electrolyte solutions in a flow cell. J Synchrotron Radiat. ;25 doi: 10.1107/s1600577518001662.
- Weis C, Sternemann C, Cerantola V, Sahle JC, Spiekermann G, Harder M, Forov Y, Kononov A, Sakrowski R, Yavaş H, Tolan M, Wilke M. Pressure driven spin transition in siderite and magnesiosiderite single crystals. Sci. Rep.. ;7 doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-16733-3.
- Sahle JCh, Rosa DA, Rossi M, Cerantola V, Spiekermann G, Petitgirard S, Jacobs J, Huotari S, Sala MM, Mirone A. Direct tomography imaging for inelastic X-ray scattering experiments at high pressure. J Synchrotron Radiat. ;24 doi: 10.1107/s1600577516017100.
- Petitgirard S, Spiekermann G, Weis C, Sahle C, Sternemann C, Wilke M. Miniature diamond anvils for X-ray Raman scattering spectroscopy experiments at high pressure. J Synchrotron Radiat. ;24 doi: 10.1107/s1600577516017112.
- Nyrow A, Sternemann C, Tse SJ, Weis C, Sahle JC, Mende K, Wieland FC, Cerantola V, Gordon AR, Spiekermann G, Regier T, Wilke M, Tolan M. Bulk sensitive determination of the Fe3+/FeTot-ratio in minerals by Fe L2/3-edge X-ray Raman scattering. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. ;31 doi: 10.1039/c5ja00261c.
- Sahle JC, Sternemann C, Giacobbe C, Yan Y, Weis C, Harder M, Forov Y, Spiekermann G, Tolan M, Krisch M, Remhof A. Formation of CaB6in the thermal decomposition of the hydrogen storage material Ca(BH4)2. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.. ;18 doi: 10.1039/c6cp02495e.
- Spiekermann G, Wilke M, Jahn S. Structural and dynamical properties of supercritical H2O–SiO2 fluids studied by ab initio molecular dynamics. Chem. Geol.. ;426 doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.01.010.
- Zitterbart PD, Richter S, Spiekermann G, Behrens KL, Regnery J, Fontes PR, Hänssler T, König-Langlo G, Weller R, Fabry B. Are environmental factors responsible for changed breeding behaviour in emperor penguins? Antarctic Science. ;26 doi: 10.1017/s0954102014000285.
- Spiekermann G, Steele-MacInnis M, Piotr KM, Schmidt C, Jahn S. Vibrational properties of silica species in MgO–SiO2 glasses obtained from ab initio molecular dynamics. Chem. Geol.. ;346 doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.08.020.
- Spiekermann G, Steele-MacInnis M, Piotr KM, Schmidt C, Jahn S. Vibrational mode frequencies of H4SiO4, D4SiO4, H6Si2O7, and H6Si3O9 in aqueous environment, obtained from <i>ab initio</i> molecular dynamics. Journal of Chemical Physics. ;137 doi: 10.1063/1.4761824.
- Spiekermann GS-M, Schmidt CJ. Vibrational mode frequencies of silica species in SiO2-H2O liquids and glasses from <i>ab initio</i> molecular dynamics. Journal of Chemical Physics. ;136 doi: 10.1063/1.3703667.
Dr. Georg Spiekermann
Akademischer Rat
