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Updated: May 22, 2026
06:04
Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory
Published on: November 15, 2013
Rocky core solubility in Jupiter and giant exoplanets
Hugh F Wilson1, Burkhard Militzer
1Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|May 1, 2012
Summary
Rocky materials like MgO dissolve readily in hydrogen at high temperatures, suggesting planetary cores may mix with gas layers in gas giants like Jupiter.
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Geophysics
- Computational Chemistry
Background:
- Gas giants form from accreting gas around rocky-icy cores.
- The fate of these rocky cores after formation is crucial for understanding planetary structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the solubility of rocky materials in fluid hydrogen.
- To determine the implications for the internal structure of gas giants.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ab initio calculations to simulate rock solubility.
- Focused on magnesium oxide (MgO) as a representative rocky material.
Main Results:
- Magnesium oxide (MgO) exhibits high solubility in fluid hydrogen at temperatures above 10,000 K.
- This indicates potential for significant redistribution of rocky core material.
Conclusions:
- Planetary cores may not remain distinct but can dissolve into the hydrogen-helium envelope.
- This finding impacts models of gas giant formation and evolution, including exoplanets.
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