First studies of Mossbauer spectroscopy to pressures above 100 GPa are
reported. The magnetic state of Fe0.94O was investigated to 120 GPa a
t T less than or equal to 300 K. At 300 K a diamagnetic low-spin (LS)
state of Fe2+ is detected at 90 GPa: its abundance increases with P. T
he gap between the T-5(2g) high-spin ground state and the (1)A(1g) LS
excited state decreases with increasing P and at 120 GPa the LS specie
s, first observed at 70 K, is fully converted at similar to 450 K. The
magnetic collapse of Fe1-xO is an isochoric, second-order transition
resulting front a gradual increase in the crystal-field with increasin
g pressure.