Abstract
THE discovery of an intrinsic magnetic field for the planet Mercury by Mariner 10 (ref. 1) and its preferred source in an internal dynamo2 imply the existence of a conducting molten core. We propose here a feasible, non-seismic observational experiment to determine the existence and extent of such a molten core, which would be vital for calculations of Mercurian thermal histories and dynamo field generation.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ness, N. F., Behannon, K. W., Lepping, R. P., Whang, Y. C., and Schatten, K. H., Science, 185, 151–160 (1974).
Ness, N. F., Behannon, K. W., Lepping, R. P., and Whang, Y. C., J. geophys. Res., 80, 2708–2716 (1975).
Siegfried, R. W., II, and Solomon, S. C., Icarus, 23, 192–205 (1974).
Fricker, P. E., Reynolds, R. T., Summers, A. L., and Cassen, P. M., Nature, 259, 293–294 (1976).
Cassen, P. M., Young, R. E., Schubert, G., and Reynolds, R. T., Icarus (in the press).
Peale, S. J., Icarus (in the press).
Peale, S. J., Icarus, 17, 168–173 (1972).
Peale, S. J., Astr. J., 79, 722–744 (1974).
Peale, S. J., Astr. J., 74, 483–489 (1969).
Kaula, W. M., EOS, Trans. Am. geophys. Un., 56, 309–316 (1975).
Greenspan, H. P., and Howard, L. N., J. Fluid Mech., 17, 385–404 (1963).
Jeffreys, H., The Earth, 254 (Cambridge University Press, 1959).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
PEALE, S. Does Mercury have a molten core?. Nature 262, 765–766 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/262765a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/262765a0
This article is cited by
-
Interiors of Earth-Like Planets and Satellites of the Solar System
Surveys in Geophysics (2022)
-
Review of Mercury’s dynamic magnetosphere: Post-MESSENGER era and comparative magnetospheres
Science China Earth Sciences (2022)
-
Gravity, Geodesy and Fundamental Physics with BepiColombo’s MORE Investigation
Space Science Reviews (2021)
-
ISA, a High Sensitivity Accelerometer in the Interplanetary Space
Space Science Reviews (2020)
-
Cassini states of a rigid body with a liquid core
Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy (2020)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.