Chromium, Nickel and Iron as clues to the formation histories of exoplanetary bodies
- 1Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA, UK
- 2Department of Earth Sciences, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
We are now entering an era of rocky exoplanet detection. To determine whether an exoplanet is ‘Earth-like’, we must estimate not only its mass, radius and insolation, but also its geological composition. These geological constraints have wide ranging implications, not least for a planet’s subsequent evolution and habitability.
Polluted white dwarfs which have accreted fragments of planetary material provide a unique opportunity to probe exoplanetary interiors. We can also learn about their formation histories, including the geological process of core-mantle differentiation.
Cr, Ni and Fe behave differently during differentiation, depending on the conditions under which it occurs. This alters the Cr/Fe and Ni/Fe ratios in the core and mantle of differentiated bodies. The pressure inside the body is a key parameter, and depends on the body’s size.
In our work, we present a novel approach for modelling this behaviour and use it to gain crucial insight into the sizes of exoplanetary bodies which pollute white dwarfs.
How to cite: Buchan, A., Bonsor, A., Shorttle, O., Wade, J., and Harrison, J.: Chromium, Nickel and Iron as clues to the formation histories of exoplanetary bodies, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-12909, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-12909, 2021.
