A Small Metallic Core in the Moon? A Reassessment Considering Siderophile Elements and Giant Impacts

Physics

Scientific paper

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1060 Planetary Geochemistry (5405, 5410, 5704, 5709, 6005, 6008), 3630 Experimental Mineralogy And Petrology, 3672 Planetary Mineralogy And Petrology (5410), 6250 Moon (1221)

Scientific paper

The issue of whether the Moon has a small metallic core is re-examined in light of new information: improved dynamical modelling, new geophysical constraints on core size, and high temperature and pressure metal-silicate partition coefficients. Although the Moon has similar Co and W depletions to the Earth, it has distinctly different Ni, Mo, Re, P and Ga depletions, consistent with the presence of a small metallic core. Because impact modelling predicts the Moon is made of mantle material from the impactor, bulk Moon compositions are considered from "hot", "warm" and "cool" impactors and proto-Earths (deep, intermediate, and shallow melting, respectively). If the Moon is made of mantle material from either a "hot" impactor or a "warm" impactor or proto-Earth, a small metallic core (0.7 to 2 percent) is predicted. If the Moon is made from mantle material from a "hot" proto-Earth, the lunar mantle would be more depleted in W or P than is observed. Scenarios in which the Moon is made from impactor or proto-Earth mantle material that has equilibrated with metal at low pressures and temperatures ("cool" scenarios) predict a much larger metallic core than is observed; silicates would be depleted in siderophile elements in such scenarios, but would be physically mixed with metal due to the inefficiency of metal segregation at low P and T conditions. Consistency of siderophile element concentrations in the lunar mantle with an impactor bulk Moon composition eliminate previous geochemical objections to an impactor origin of the Moon.

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