Dynamo Models Incorporating Iron "Snow Zones" Consistent with Mercury's Weak Observed Magnetic Field

Details Dynamo Models Incorporating Iron "Snow Zones" Consistent with Mercury's Weak Observed Magnetic Field Dynamo Models Incorporating Iron "Snow Zones" Consistent with Mercury's Weak Observed Magnetic Field

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p31c1264v&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P31C-1264

Physics

[1507] Geomagnetism And Paleomagnetism / Core Processes, [1510] Geomagnetism And Paleomagnetism / Dynamo: Theories And Simulations, [5440] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, [6235] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mercury

Scientific paper

The Mariner 10 and MESSENGER probes have revealed that Mercury possesses a field of internal origin, with a dipole moment between 230 and 290 nT-Rm3 (Rm is the mean radius of Mercury). The field is dominated by an axial dipole, and is approximately 100 times weaker than expected. Although it is likely caused by a planetary dynamo, a field as weak as Mercury's is difficult to produce with an Earth-like dynamo. This disparity in field strengths implies that the core dynamics of Mercury differ markedly from Earth's, and that an exotic internal field partitioning should be expected. Recent experimental work by Chen et al. (2008) indicates that convection in Mercury's outer core may be compositionally driven at multiple points by an iron precipitate, or "snow". Using the Kuang-Bloxham numerical dynamo model, we find that models which include a snow state midway through the convecting region can produce weak fields on the same order as those observed for Mercury. We present the observable features of our model and discuss the mechanism responsible for generating these weak fields.

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