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Metal-silicate Partitioning at High Pressure and Temperature: Experimental Methods and a Protocol to Suppress Highly Siderophile Element Inclusions
Published on: June 13, 2015
Sequestration of noble gases in giant planet interiors
Hugh F Wilson1, Burkhard Militzer
1Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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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Noble Gases
The elements in group 18 are noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon). They earned the name “noble” because they were assumed to be nonreactive since they have filled valence shells. In 1962, Dr. Neil Bartlett at the University of British Columbia proved this assumption to be false.
Gas Solubility
Electron Configuration of Multielectron Atoms
The Aufbau Principle and Hund's Rule
Periodic Classification of the Elements
Adsorption of Gases on Solids

