The formation of Earth’s core by melt segregation in a primordial magma ocean is one of the defining events in the history of our planet. The crystallization of the magma ocean and differentiation of the liquid core have changed the thermo-chemical state of the deep Earth. Additionally, giant impacts can cause extensive melting at high pressures and temperatures, altering the composition of early core and mantle, and potentially leading to exsolution of light elements as the core cools. In this session, we invite contributions from experiments and theoretical calculations on topics including the crystallization sequence of the magma ocean, liquid outer core composition, metal/silicate partitioning at high pressure and temperature, and elastic and transport properties of minerals in the basal magma ocean. We also encourage contributions of dynamical models, which integrate experimental results or explore novel differentiation scenarios and consequences for the deep Earth.