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Sequestration of Noble Gases in Giant Planet Interiors

Hugh F. Wilson and Burkhard Militzer
Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 121101 – Published 22 March 2010
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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.

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  • Received 19 November 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.121101

©2010 American Physical Society

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Published 22 March 2010

Ab initio simulations account for the peculiar abundance characteristics of noble gases in Jupiter

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Authors & Affiliations

Hugh F. Wilson1 and Burkhard Militzer1,2

  • 1Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
  • 2Department of Astronomy, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

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Issue

Vol. 104, Iss. 12 — 26 March 2010

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