Ab initio Equation of State and Phase Diagram of MgO in the megabar regime

Accurate equations of state (EOS) and phase diagrams for silicate materials are a cornerstone of Earth, Super-Earth's and giant planet cores' models. While recent shock wave experiments have provided new data on the principal Hugoniot curve, accessing off-Hugoniot states is much more challenging. Ab initio computer simulations offer the possibility to complement the experiments in this regard. Here we report results of an extensive set of ab initio simulations of MgO in solid and liquid phases over a wide range of parameters relevant for Earth, Super-Earth's and giant planet's interiors. Using the thermodynamic integration technique, we derive a consistent EOS including free energy and entropy information. We will discuss the relative stability of different phases.