One of the hot topics of debate among scientists is why does Mercury has a huge iron core. The existing theory suggests that collisions with other bodies destroyed most of the rocky mantle around the planet during its formation, leaving a huge, dense metal core inside covered by a relatively thin crust. However, new research might have an alternate explanation.
The latest research suggests that collisions aren’t the real cause for the planet’s large iron core; rather, the sun’s magnetism is to be blamed. Researchers William McDonough and Takashi Yoshizaki have designed a model that shows the density, mass, and iron content of Mercury’s core affected by the distance from the sun’s magnetic field.
Sun’s magnetic field has huge impact
They also suggested that Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are all made up of different portions of metal and rock. Their model shows how metal content in the core goes down as the planets move away from the sun. The study explains this phenomenon by showing the distribution of raw materials in the initial days of solar system formation that were controlled by the magnetic field of the sun.
The researchers found that the density and distribution of iron in the core of a rocky planet are directly affected by the strength of the magnetic field around the sun during the formation of the planet. The study explains that magnetism has to be taken into consideration for future attempts to describe the composition of rocky planets, including Earth-sized planets that are located outside our solar system.
Research could help find alien life
The study could come in handy for searching for life on other planets, as the planet’s core’s composition is imperative for it to foster life. On Earth, the iron core creates a magnetosphere that protects us from cosmic rays. The researchers also said that the core has the majority of phosphorus on the planet, which serves as a nutrient for carbon-based life.
The new model allowed the researchers to determine the speed at which gas and dust were sucked into the center of the solar system while it was forming. Now, the researchers will aim to find another planetary system with rocky planets located far away from the central star and figure out if their density decreases when away from the star.
