Dr. Boris Kiefer; Physics Department; New Mexico State University

Curriculum Vitae

 

 

Appointments:

1.       Assistant Professor, Physics Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. 08/2003 – Present.

2.       Visiting Researcher, Department of Geosciences, Princeton, New Jersey, 06/01/05-07/01/05 and 06/15/2004-07/31/2004.

3.       Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 05/2002-08/2003.

 

Education:

INSTITUTION AND LOCATION;

FIELD OF STUDY

DEGREE

(if applicable)

YEAR(s)

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Geology, Mineral Physics

Ph.D.

2002

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Geology, Mineral Physics

M.S.

1999

George August Universität Göttingen, Germany

Physics

Diploma

1994

 

 

Proposals:

[1] Elasticity of (Fe,X) alloys and the nature of the light element in the Earth’s inner core. B. Kiefer; recommended for funding through NSF-EAR as of 12/08/06 at the requested amount: $228,087.

[2] Bridging Biology and Physics Undergraduate Education through Nanoscience: A New Mexico Network Approach. E. Serrano (PI), B. Kiefer (co-PI), V. Lombrana, and J. Urquidi. Recommended for funding through NSF-DUE as of 12/25/06; Requested amount: $178,745.

[3] Collaborative experimental and computational study on the electrical and thermal conductivity of the Earth’s core. K. Lee, B. Kiefer (co-PI), and O. Tschauner. (Submitted: 09/25/06 to NSF-CSEDI).

[4] Acquisition of a Large Beowulf Cluster for Research and Education in Science and Engineering; National Science Foundation – Major Research Instrumentation (NSF-MRI); 2004-2008; $ 286,000; B. Kiefer (co-PI); awarded.

 

Research Interests:

Electronic structure of materials in relation to their physical and chemical properties. Mineral physics, geophysics, rheology and mantle dynamics. Environmental physics, in particular of sulfates and their relationship to acid mine drainage areas.

 

Teaching Interests:

Mineral physics, Geophysics, Applied Mathematics in Geosciences.

 

Teaching Experience:

General Physics I (PHYS 211).

Heat, Light, and Sound (PHYS 217) + supervising laboratory section.

Intermediate Modern Physics II (PHYS 455).

Advanced Concepts in Condensed Matter Physics (PHYS 620).

 

Thesis Advisor:

Ben Eimer, PhD student, Physics Department, New Mexico State University, graduated 08/2006.

 

Referee Experience:

American Mineralogist; Geophysical Research Letters; Nature; Physical Review Letters; Physical Review B; Physics and Chemistry of Minerals; Swiss National Science Foundation; European Science Foundation.

 

Professional Memberships:

American Geophysical Union; Mineralogical Society of America; American Physical Society; Materials Research Society.

 

Publications:

Stixrude, L., Lithgow-Bertelloni, C., Kiefer, B., and Fumagalli, P., Phase stability and shear softening in CaSiO3 perovskite at high pressure, (in press: Physical Review B).

Runge, C. E., Kubo, A., Kiefer, B., Meng, Y., Prakapenka, V. B., Shen, G., Cava, R. J., and Duffy, T. S., Equation of state of MgGeO3 perovskite to 65 GPa: Comparison with the post-perovskite phase, (in press: Physics and Chemistry of Minerals).

Majzlan, J., and B. Kiefer. An X-ray and neutron diffraction and ab-initio study of the crystal structure of ferricopiapite, Fe14/3(SO4)6(OH)2(H2O)20. (in press: The Canadian Mineralogist).

Kubo, A., B. Kiefer, G. Shen, V. B. Prapapenka, R. J. Cava, and T. S. Duffy, Stability and equation of state of the post-perovskite phase in MgGeO3 to 2 Mbar. Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L12S12, 2006.

Kiefer, B., S. R. Shieh, T. S. Duffy, and T. Sekine, Strength, elasticity, and equation of state of nanocrystalline silicon nitride (γ-Si3N4) to 68 GPa. Physical Review B, 72, 014102, 2005.

Kiefer, B., and T. S. Duffy, Finite-element Simulations of the Laser-Heated Diamond Anvil Cell. Journal of Applied Physics, 97, 114902 (2005).

Wentzcovitch R. M., L. Stixrude, B. B. Karki, and B. Kiefer. Akimotoite to perovskite phase transition in MgSiO3, Geophysical Research Letters, 31, L10611, 2004.

van Keken P. E., Kiefer, B., and S. M. Peacock, High-resolution models of subduction zones: Implications for mineral dehydration reactions and the transport of water into the deep mantle, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 3, 1056, doi:10.1029/2001GC000256, 2002.

Kiefer, B., L. Stixrude and R. Wentzcovitch. Elasticity of (Mg,Fe)SiO3  Perovskite at High Pressures. Geophysical Research Letters. 29(11). 1539-1539, 2002.

Kiefer, B., L. Stixrude, J. Hafner, and G. Kresse.  First Principle Calculation of the Elastic Behavior of Wadsleyite at High Pressures.  American Mineralogist. 86. 1387-1395, 2001.

Kiefer, B. and L. Stixrude.  Thermoelastic Properties of (Mg,Fe)SiO3 Perovskite. In: Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings. 718. ,D6.1.1-D6.1.6., 2002.

Kiefer, B., L. Stixrude, and R. Wentzcovitch.  Normal and Inverse Ringwoodite at High Pressure.  American Mineralogist. 84. 288-293, 1999.

Stixrude, L., R. M. Wentzcovitch, C. da Silva, and B. Kiefer. Ab-initio investigation of the high pressure elasticity of Mg2SiO4 forsterite and ringwoodite. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings 499, 15-25, 1998.

Kiefer, B., L. Strixrude, and R. Wentzcovitch. Calculations of elastic constants of Mg2SiO4 at high pressures.  Geophysical Research Letters. 24(22). 2841-2844, 1997.

Publications, in review:

Eimer, B. C. and Kiefer, B., and Steinle-Neumann, G., Elasticity and Magnetism of Hexagonal Iron at Pressures below a Megabar, (in review: Physical Review B).

Tschauner, O., Kiefer, B., Liu, H., Somayazulu, M, Luo, S. N., Structural polymorphism in Al-bearing magnesiumsilicate post-perovskite (in review: Physics and Chemistry of Minerals).

 

Publications  in preparation:

Kiefer, B., and Duffy, T. S., Finite Element Simulations of the Laser-Heated Diamond Cell:  Effect of Experimental Geometry on Thermal Structure, to be submitted to Journal of Applied Physics.

Eimer, B. C., and Kiefer, B., The elasticity of Iron-Nickel alloys at inner core pressures, to be submitted to Physics and Chemistry of Minerals.

Tschauner, O., Kiefer, B., Lee, Y., Pravica, M., Nicol, M., and E. Kim, Structural transition of PETN-I to a ferroelastic orthorhombic phase PETN-III at elevated pressures, to be submitted to Journal of Chemical Physics.

 

Conference Abstracts for the Last Three Years:

Kiefer, B., and T. S. Duffy, Finite Element Simulations of the Laser-Heated Diamond Cell: Effect of Experimental Geometry on Thermal Structure (AGU F2006).

Japel, S., and Kiefer, B., FeP at pressures up to 70GPa, phase transitions, magnetic structure, and EoS (AGU F2006).

Tschauner, O., Kiefer, B., Structural Polymorphism in Al-bearing Magnesiumsilicate Post-perovskite (AGU F2006).

Kubo, A., Kiefer, B., Shim, S.-H., Shen, G., Prapapenka, V. B., Cava, R. J., Structure refinement of MgGeO3 post-perovskite phase to 1 Mbar (AGU F2006).

Tschauner, O., Kiefer, B., Lee, Y., Pravica1, M., Nicol1, M., Kim, E., MURI, Evidence for structural phase transition in PETN and structure of the novel high pressure phase, 2006.

Giefers, H., Gobin, C., Kiefer, B., Kim, E., Lee, Y., Nicol, M., Orwig, J., Pravica, M., Tschauner, O., and Yulga, B., X-Ray Diffraction and Spectroscopy at High Pressures: Recent Studies,  Proceedings of the  Fifth International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation In Material Sciences (Advanced Photon Source, Argonne, Il, 2006) pp. 96.

C. Runge, A. Kubo, T. S. Duffy, B. Kiefer, V. Prapapenka, G. Shen, and Y. Meng, Equation of State of MgSiO3 perovskite to 65 GPa: Comparison with the post-perovskite phase. AGU Spring 2006 Meeting.

Kiefer, B., The Effect of Aluminum on Elasticity of Post-Perovskite at High Temperature. AGU Fall Meeting 2005.

Eimer, B. C., B. Kiefer, and G. Steinle-Neumann, An Ab-Initio Study of Iron At Intermediate Pressures. AGU Fall Meeting 2005.

Duffy, T. S., A. Kubo, S. R. Shieh, G. Shen., V. Prapapenka, B. Kiefer, and A.-H. Shim, Compressibility and Structural Evolution of Germanate and Silicate Post-Perovskite Phases. AGU Fall Meeting 2005.

Majzlan, J., and B. Kiefer, 2005, Crystal structure of ferricopiapite. Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft Tagung, Aachen, Germany, September 2005.

Runge, C. E., A. Kubo, B. Kiefer, T. Uchida, and T. S. Duffy: New Techniques for melting Point Determination at High Pressures: Applications to Silicon. COMPRESS Meeting 2005.

Kiefer, B., and L. Stixrude: Aluminum Dependence of Elasticity in Perovskite and Post-Perovskite. AGU Fall Meeting, 2004.

Kubo, A., T. S. Duffy. S. R. Shieh, B. Kiefer, R. J., Cava, V. B. Prapapenka, and G. Shen: Synthesis and Equation of State of MgGeO3 Post-Perovskite Phase. AGU Fall Meeting 2004. 

Kiefer, B., and T. S. Duffy: Finite-element Modeling of the Thermal Structure in Laser-Heated Diamond Anvil Cell Experiments; AGU Fall Meeting 2003.