A recent simulation by researchers from China and Belgium, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggests that Mercury may hide a layer of diamonds up to 18 kilometers thick between its core and its mantle.
Mercury: the discoveryThe simulation
Mercury: the discovery
Observations by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft in 2011 had already revealed that Mercury’s surface is unusually dark due to the widespread presence of graphite. This led scientists to hypothesize that the planet was once covered by an ocean of carbon-rich magma, which cooled and formed a graphite crust.
The simulation
To further investigate this hypothesis, the researchers recreated the pressure and temperature conditions inside Mercury in the laboratory. Combining the results of the simulations with thermodynamic models, they discovered that, in addition to graphite, a thick layer of diamonds could have formed.
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 Mercury’s magnetic field. This would explain why the planet, despite its small size, has an unusually strong magnetic field.
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?
