Formation of Mercury

1
Formation of Mercury

• By Triana Henz

2
In the beginning

• There was a giant cloud of particles within the
  Milky Way
• Particles start to rotate
• The cloud starts to collapse on itself
• A star is born at the center!!

3
What takes place in a few Myr?

• Accretion Theory takes place
• Heavy elements make their way closer to the sun
• A temperature difference takes place at about 4
  AU, allowing the inner gas to be hotter

4
Planets

• Particles gather to form cosmic dust
• Cosmic dust stick together to grow into small
  planet like objects
• The small planet like objects collide with each
  other
• As the dust clears, we have proto-planets!!

5
Mercury

• The out-liner of the inner planets

• Has a high density, molten core, magnetic field,
  and a big core

6
Thoughts on the mysteries

• Theories have to account mostly for the high
  density that is observed
• Most theories take place during the early stages
  of the solar system

• Three leading theories
• Selective Accretion
• Post-accretional vaporization
• Giant impact Stripping

7
Selective Accretion

• Enrichment of iron that leads to the high density
• Principles
• Needs mechanical and aerodynamic accretion
  processes
• A low chemical equilibrium condensation
  temperature

8
Why was iron so rich?

• The solar nebula in the feeding zone was
  naturally rich with iron
• Particles were so close to the Sun that it was
  reducing the other elements to a metallic form
  that had a high melting point to solidify
• This process could explain why Mercury is highly
  density

9
Post-accretional Vaporization

• After Mercury was formed, the solar winds were
  strong enough to blow away the original surface
• The solar winds wouldve contained intense solar
  electromagnetic and particle radiation

10
Giant Impact Stripping

• Object crashed into Mercury
• Object needs to be about Mars size
• The impact had blown away the upper layers of
  proto-Mercury

11
Correct Theory?

• Depending on when Mercury was impacted, the
  material ejected would need to go somewhere
• Candidates for where the material ended up are
  the Sun, Venus, and Earth
• The Solar Winds would most likely leave a few
  traces of the proto layers since the Solar Winds
  wouldnt be able to make a near spherical object
• Chemical equilibrium condensation models for the
  solar nebula cant account for a molten core at
  Mercurys present orbit or density if formed
  between .4-1.4 AU
• The condensation models also need to take into
  account why Mercury is the only one that is
  affected by the lower temperature
• To know which of the theories is correct,
  chemical composition needs to be known of the
  surface
• Each would leave trace evidence of their
  existence since each has their own unique
  signature of oxides and iron oxides

12
One More Thing

• There is no doubt that the position of Mercury
  gives itself to an unique formation
• It has us believing that well know our solar
  system and all planet formation if we study it
  closely
• And now we look

13