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Does Mercury have a molten core?

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.

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PEALE, S. Does Mercury have a molten core?. Nature 262, 765–766 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/262765a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/262765a0

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