AN AB-INITIO STUDY OF THE COMPRESSIONAL BEHAVIOR OF FORSTERITE

Ab initio calculations using the local density approximation and pseud opotentials were made on forsterite from 0 to 700 kbar. Our calculatio ns are generally consistent with almost all the experimental cell-para meter and bond-length data. In contrast to some experimental data, how ever, we find no evidence for abrupt changes in compressional mechanis m at any pressure.