Sang-Heon Dan Shim

Associate Professor of Experimental Geophysics
Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Massachusetts Institute Technology

77 Massachusetts Avenue, 54-616
Cambridge, MA 02319

Office: 617 324 0249
Lab: 617 324 1521
Fax: 617 258 9697

Email: SANGSHIM at MIT dot EDU

Curriculum Vitae (last update: Oct 2009)

Publication List (last update: Oct 2009)

Research

For research projects, researchers, and experimental facilities, please visit MIT mineral physics lab web site.

For softwares for mineral physicists, please visit XPeakTool web site. This suite of softwares is developed for rapid analysis of large diffraction and spectroscopy data sets.

For a blog for experimental mineral physicists, please visit http://mpmit.blogspot.com/. This website began from a simple idea - we all learn from our mistakes. However, I often find my colleagues already experienced the same thing and knew solutions (communication, communication, communication). But there is no journal to publish failed experiments. What if we have a site where we can share the mistakes, failed ideas, bugs in software, and so on. We can help others not to repeat the same mistakes. Or we can help each other to find solution.

Teaching

12.108 Structure of Earth Materials, Spring semester

Knowledge on the properties of minerals is fundamental to understand geologic processes. This course begins with crystallography and crystal chemistry which form foundations for understanding the physical properties of minerals. We also discuss theoretical background on some important analytical methods, such as optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe, and optical spectroscopy, and provide opportunities to use them. This course also surveys various different minerals groups and discusses their importance in geology, geophysics, planetary sciences, environmental sciences, and engineering.

12.575 Introduction to Mineral Physics, Fall semester

Knowledge on the crystal structures, physical properties, phase diagrams, and chemical reactions of the materials which constitutes the Earth and planetary interiors is fundamental to understanding the structures and dynamics of the planets. In this lecture course, we will discuss: crystal structures of mantle and core phases, elastic and thermodynamic properties of materials at high pressure-temperature, equations of state, phase diagrams of mantle and core materials, and experimental and theoretical techniques in mineral physics. Some basic principles in thermodynamics, crystallography, and solid-state physics, which are necessary to understand the topics, will also be introduced. Focus will be made on using laboratory or theoretical mineral physics data to interpret seismic observations, and construct structural and dynamic models of the Earth and planetary interiors.

12.591 The Core-Mantle Boundary, Fall semester

At the boundary between the core and the mantle, silicate mantle rocks are in direct contact with molten iron alloy of the core. Inspired by this large physical and chemical changes, many have proposed that the core-mantle boundary is the ultimate graveyard for the subducting slabs and the birthplace for the mantle plumes. This seminar course discusses recent developments in seismology, mineral physics, geochemistry, and geodynamics on this important region in the Earth's interior.

by Dan Shim, 11/01/2009 20:18