Mineral and Rock Physics Focus Group Selects Kantor for 2008 Graduate Research Award

Citation

The Mineral and Rock Physics focus group has selected Innokenty Kantor as the recipient of the 2008 Graduate Research Award. Kantor pursued his Ph.D. in high-pressure mineral physics at the Bayerisches Geoin-stitut, University of Bayreuth, Germany, under the supervision of Leonid Dubrovinsky and Catherine McCammon, and he successfully defended his thesis, entitled “High-pressure and high-temperature structural and electronic properties of (Mg,Fe)O and FeO,” in July 2007. Kantor came to Germany with a strong theoretical background after gaining a master’s diploma with honors at Moscow State University, Russia.

At the University of Bayreuth, he developed experimental experience by mastering the challenging techniques of diamond anvil cell experimentation, Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray and neutron diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Highlights of Kantor's thesis research include the discovery that the rhombohedral distortion in iron oxide (FeO) and magnesium iron oxide ((Mg,Fe)O) does not coincide with the magnetic ordering transition (contrary to what had been assumed for many years); a full description of spin crossover in (Mg,Fe)O above 50 gigapascals including the effect of short-range order; and a new high-pressure monoclinic modification of FeO that may change the interpretation of the B1 → B8 (rock salt to nickel arsenide structure) transition at high pressure and temperature. All of these results have had a significant impact on the research field and influenced models for the behavior of FeO and (Mg,Fe)O at high pressure. Kantor's achievements have been recognized by a number of other awards, most recently the E.ON Bayern Kulturpreis, awarded for one of the best doctoral theses in Bavaria across all research fields.

The Mineral and Rock Physics Graduate Research Award (formerly called the MRP Outstanding Student Award) is given annually to a scientist in the early part of his or her career. The research of the awardee should have made a substantial contribution to the general areas of mineral and rock physics. Nominations are solicited in the spring of each calendar year and are reviewed by a committee that makes the selection. Nominees must be within 12 months of receipt of their Ph.D. The award was presented at the Mineral and Rock Physics reception at the 2008 Fall Meeting. A list of past recipients is available.

—Catherine McCammon, Bayerisches Geoinstitut, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; E-mail: catherine.mccammon@uni-bayreuth.de