Submicroscopic magnetite may be ubiquitous in the lunar regolith of the high-Ti region

Magnetite is rare on the Moon. The ubiquitous presence of magnetite in lunar soil has been hypothesized in previous Apollo Mössbauer spectroscopy and electron spin resonance studies, but there is currently no mineralogical evidence to prove it. Here, we report a large number of submicroscopic magnetite particles embedded within iron-sulfide on the surface of Chang'e-5 glass, with a close positive correlation between magnetite content and the TiO2 content of the surrounding glass. The morphology and mineralogy of the iron-sulfide grains suggest that these magnetite particles formed via an impact process between iron-sulfide droplets and silicate glass melt, and ilmenite is necessary for magnetite formation. Magnetite in lunar glass is a potential candidate for the "magnetite-like" phase detected in the Apollo era and suggests that impact-induced submicroscopic magnetite may be ubiquitous in high-Ti regions of the Moon. Moreover, these impact-induced magnetite particles may be crucial for understanding the lunar magnetic anomalies and mineral components of the deep Moon.

Evidence for an oxygen-depleted liquid outer core of the Earth

On the basis of geophysical observations, cosmochemical constraints, and high-pressure experimental data, the Earth's liquid outer core consists of mainly liquid iron alloyed with about ten per cent (by weight) of light elements. Although the concentrations of the light elements are small, they nevertheless affect the Earth's core: its rate of cooling, the growth of the inner core, the dynamics of core convection, and the evolution of the geodynamo. Several light elements-including sulphur, oxygen, silicon, carbon and hydrogen-have been suggested, but the precise identity of the light elements in the Earth's core is still unclear. Oxygen has been proposed as a major light element in the core on the basis of cosmochemical arguments and chemical reactions during accretion. Its presence in the core has direct implications for Earth accretion conditions of oxidation state, pressure and temperature. Here we report new shockwave data in the Fe-S-O system that are directly applicable to the outer core. The data include both density and sound velocity measurements, which we compare with the observed density and velocity profiles of the liquid outer core. The results show that we can rule out oxygen as a major light element in the liquid outer core because adding oxygen into liquid iron would not reproduce simultaneously the observed density and sound velocity profiles of the outer core. An oxygen-depleted core would imply a more reduced environment during early Earth accretion.

Structure and Density of FeS at High Pressure and High Temperature and the Internal Structure of Mars

In situ x-ray diffraction measurements revealed that FeS, a possible core material for the terrestrial planets, transforms to a hexagonal NiAs superstructure with axial ratio (c/a) close to the ideal close-packing value of 1.63 at high pressure and high temperature. The high-pressure-temperature phase has shorter Fe-Fe distances than the low-pressure phase. Significant shortening of the Fe-Fe distance would lead to metallization of FeS, resulting in fundamental changes in physical properties of FeS at high pressure and temperature. Calculations using the density of the high-pressure-temperature FeS phase indicate that the martian core-mantle boundary occurs within the silicate perovskite stability field.

High-Pressure Iron-Sulfur Compound, Fe3S2, and Melting Relations in the Fe-FeS System

An iron-sulfur compound (Fe3S2) was synthesized at pressures greater than 14 gigapascals in the system Fe-FeS. The formation of Fe3S2 changed the melting relations from a simple binary eutectic system to a binary system with an intermediate compound that melted incongruently. The eutectic temperature in the system at 14 gigapascals was about 400°C lower than that extrapolated from Usselman's data, implying that previous thermal models of Fe-rich planetary cores could overestimate core temperature. If it is found in a meteorite, the Fe3S2 phase could also be used to infer the minimum size of a parent body.

The Bakerian Lecture, 1983 - The Earth’s core: its composition, formation and bearing upon the origin of the Earth

The density of the outer core is about 3 % smaller than pure iron, which implies that the core contains a substantial amount of one or more low atomic mass elements. Candidates which have been suggested on various grounds include S, H, C, O, Si, and Mg. Plausible models of accretion of the Earth encounter difficulties in trapping sufficient S, H and C to explain the density deficit. On the other hand, entry of Si and Mg is not favoured by thermodynamic arguments. Oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth and would be a prime candidate if it could be shown to be extensively soluble in molten iron at core temperatures and pressures. New experimental data on the solubility of FeO in molten iron are reviewed. They demonstrate that at atmospheric pressure, FeO is extensively soluble in iron at 2500 °C and that complete miscibility probably occurs above 2800 °C. Moreover, liquid iron in equilibrium with magnesiowüstite (Mg 0.8 Fe 0.2 )O also dissolves large quantities of FeO above 2800 °C. The solubility of FeO in molten iron is considerably increased by high pressures, because of the small partial molar volume of FeO in the Fe─FeO melt. If the core formed by segregation of metal originally dispersed throughout the Earth, it seems inevitable that it would have dissolved large amounts of FeO. The density of the outer core can be matched if it contains about 35 mol % FeO, a quantity that is readily explained by the new experimental data. Solution of FeO in iron causes the melting point of the metal phase to be depressed below the solidus temperature of the silicate phase assemblages in the mantle. A model for the formation of the core is described, based upon Fe-FeO phase relations at high temperatures and pressures. The model implies the presence of a high content of FeO in the Bulk Earth. This can be explained if the Earth accreted from a mixture of two components: A, a highly reduced, metal-rich devolatilized assemblage and B, a highly oxidized, volatile-rich assemblage similar to C1 chondrites. The formation of these components in the solar nebula is discussed. The large amount of FeO now inferred to be present in the Earth was mainly produced during accretion by oxidation of metallic iron from component A by water from component B. This two-component mixing model also provides an attractive explanation of some aspects of the chemistry of the Earth’s mantle including the abundances of siderophile and volatile elements.

Core Formation During Early Accretion of the Earth

Recent studies are leading to a better understanding of the formation of the earth's metal core. This new information includes: better knowledge of the physics of metal segregation, improved geochemical data on the abundance of siderophile and chalcophile elements in the silicate part of the earth, and experimental data on the partitioning behavior of siderophile and chalcophile elements. Extensive melting of the earth as a result of giant impacts, accretion, or the presence of a dense blanketing atmosphere is thought to have led to the formation of the core. Collision between a planet-sized body and the earth may have also produced the moon. Near the end of accretion, core formation evidently ceased as upper mantle conditions became oxidizing. The accumulation of the oceans is a consequence of the change to oxidizing conditions.