Barbara Lavina (Physics & Astronomy) is the author of an article, "Unraveling the Complexity of Iron Oxides at High Pressure and Temperature: Synthesis of Fe₅O_6," which appeared in the June 26 issue of Science Advances.

Using laser heating in the diamond anvil cell and synchrotron microfocused X-ray beam, Lavina and Yue Meng from the Carnegie Institution of Washington explored the Fe-O system at conditions of pressure and temperatures that can be found in planetary interiors. They discovered a new iron oxide, Fe₅O₆. This new compound was found a few years after their discovery of Fe₄O₅. Fe₅O₆ and Fe₄O₅ represent a breakthrough in the chemistry of iron oxides, for centuries thought to comprise just three compounds (FeO, Fe₄O₄, Fe₂O₃). The new phases are plausible key minor components in the deep Earth, implying an unforeseen complexity of redox equilibria which profoundly affects Earth's evolution, including affecting life on its surface, such as volcanism and ore formation.