Neutron powder diffraction of minerals at high pressures and temperatures: Some recent technical developments and scientific applications

The application of neutron powder diffraction to the study of mineral behaviour at high temperature and high pressure is reviewed. The characteristics of neutrons that make them particularly amenable to such studies are outlined, and recent technological developments in the attainment of extreme sample environments are discussed. These developments include the design of new high-pressure cells, hydrothermal cells, and furnaces that allow in situ diffraction under extreme conditions. The application of this technology to problems of order-disorder in minerals is illustrated in a series of recent examples.