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Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
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A substance that reaches superconductivity, a state in which magnetic fields cannot penetrate, and there is no electrical resistance, is referred to as a superconductor. In 1911, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes of Leiden University, a Dutch physicist, observed a relation between the temperature and the resistance of the element mercury. The mercury sample was then cooled in liquid helium to study the linear dependence of resistance on temperature. It was observed that, as the temperature decreased, the...
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Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory
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Melting in super-earths.

Lars Stixrude1

  • 1Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, , Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK.

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|March 26, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Super-Earths likely form fully molten due to accretion and core formation. Ancient rocky planets may retain partial melting, supporting dynamo action for magnetic fields.

Keywords:
evolutioninteriorsmaterial propertiesstructure

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Area of Science:

  • Planetary Science
  • Geophysics
  • Astrobiology

Background:

  • Super-Earths are exoplanets with masses higher than Earth's.
  • Habitable zone planets are key targets in the search for extraterrestrial life.
  • Understanding their internal structure and thermal evolution is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential for melting in rocky super-Earths within the habitable zone.
  • To model the thermal evolution and internal states of these planets.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of accretion energetics and core formation.
  • Modeling cooling timescales, viscosity, and partial melting.
  • Estimating melting curves at ultra-high pressures using experimental and ab initio data.
  • Constructing thermal models based on equations of state and hydrostatic equilibrium.

Main Results:

  • Accretion efficiency and giant impacts suggest super-Earths likely start molten.
  • Thermal regulation is controlled by silicate melting, influencing temperature profiles.
  • Ancient super-Earths may exhibit partial melting at mantle boundaries.
  • Vigorous mantle convection supports dynamo action across super-Earth masses.

Conclusions:

  • Super-Earths likely begin their existence in a completely molten state.
  • Internal melting and convection are significant factors in super-Earth evolution.
  • The conditions for dynamo action, crucial for habitability, may be widespread.