Modeling study proposes a diamond layer at the core-mantle boundary on Mercury
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A recent study in Nature Communications by scientists from China and Belgium suggests that Mercury's core-mantle boundary (CMB) includes a diamond layer, potentially up to 18 kilometers thick, deep within the planet's interior.
Mercury, the smallest and innermost planet in our solar system, has long puzzled scientists with its remarkably dark surface and high core density. Previous missions, such as NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, had revealed that Mercury's surface contains significant amounts of graphite, a form of carbon.
This led the researchers to believe the planet's early history involved a carbon-rich magma ocean. Phys.org spoke to one of the co-authors of the study, Dr. Yanhao Lin, from the Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research in Beijing.
