Dr Alfred Wilson
- Position: Research Fellow
- Areas of expertise: Mineral physics; liquid structure and dynamics; thermodynamics; entropy; molecular dynamics; first principles; density functional theory; nucleation; freezing; pair potentials
- Email: A.J.Wilson1@leeds.ac.uk
- Website: Personal Website | Googlescholar | ORCID
Profile
MSci – Geology – University College London – 2011-2015
– Exploring the structural evolution of Cerberus Fossae, Mars: a study of small scale faults through high resolution imaging and modelling.
PhD – Mineral Physics – University College London – 2015-2020
– Thermodynamic Properties of a Terrestrial Magma Ocean.
Responsibilities
- Administrator - Leeds Centre for Planetary Core Dynamics
- Committee - Equality Diversity and Inclusivity Committee - School of Earth and Environment
- Comittee - Mineral Physics Special Interest Group - Mineralogical Society
Research interests
My principal area of research is the key processes in the metallic cores and magma oceans of rocky planets which facilitate habitable conditions at the surface. I use modlecular dynamics to probe the structure and dynamics of freezing systems relevant to the Earth’s early core and model the precipitation of light elements from the core. My background is in first principles molecular dynamics studies of silicate and carbonate liquids relvant to the magma ocean following the moon forming giant impact. I use thermodynamics derived from these simulations to gain a better understanding of how the early Earth cooled towards the structures we observe today.
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>Research groups and institutes
- Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics