A recent simulation conducted by researchers at China and Belgiumpublished in the magazine Nature Communicationssuggests that Mercury It could hide a layer of diamonds up to 18 kilometers thick between its core and its mantle.
Mercury: the discovery
The probe’s observations Messenger from the NASA In 2011, they had already revealed that Mercury’s surface is unusually dark due to the widespread presence of graphite. This led scientists to hypothesize that in the past the planet was covered by an ocean of carbon-rich magma, which as it cooled formed a graphite crust.
The simulation
To further investigate this hypothesis, the researchers recreated the internal pressure and temperature conditions of Mercury in the laboratory. Combining the results of the simulations with thermodynamic models, they discovered that, in addition to graphite, a Often diamond layer.
According to the researchers, the high thermal conductivity of diamond could facilitate the transfer of heat from the core to the mantle, thus influencing the generation of the magnetic field of Mercury. This would explain why the planet, despite its small size, has an unusually strong magnetic field strong.
Are you fascinated by the idea of a planet with a diamond heart? What do you think about future space explorations to confirm these discoveries?
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