Sequestration of Noble Gases in Giant Planet Interiors

2010/03/22 by Hugh F. Wilson, Burkhard Militzer · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.EP #cond-mat.other

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.104.121101

published as Phys.Rev.Lett.104:121101,2010

openalex publication_date 2010/03/22 · arxiv created 2010/03/30 · arxiv updated 2015/03/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The Galileo probe showed that Jupiter's atmosphere is severely depleted in neon compared to protosolar values. We show via ab initio simulations of the partitioning of neon between hydrogen-helium phases that the observed depletion can be explained by the sequestration of neon into helium-rich droplets within the postulated hydrogen-helium immiscibility layer of the planets interior. We also demonstrate that this mechanism will not affect argon explaining the observed lack of depletion of this gas. This provides strong indirect evidence for hydrogen-helium immiscibility in Jupiter.

Citations

• Projector augmented-wave method
• Generalized Gradient Approximation Made Simple
• Phase separation in hydrogen–helium mixtures at Mbar pressures
• The Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer: Composition of Jupiter's Atmosphere
• Efficient iterative schemes forab initiototal-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set
• Solar System Abundances and Condensation Temperatures of the Elements

Cited by

• Neon [wikipedia]