2024年8月24日 星期六

A layer of diamonds up to 18 km thick may be hidden beneath Mercury's surface, new research has found

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

18キロのダイヤモンドの層、水星地下存在する可能性 新研究

2024.08.02 Fri posted at 15:30 JST

(CNN) 最大18キロの厚さのダイヤモンドの層が水星の地表の下に隠れている可能性があることが、新たな研究で分かった。水星太陽系最小惑星、太陽くに位置する

これらのダイヤモンドはおよそ45億年前水星誕生してもなく形成されたとみられる。水星、塵(ちりやガスの高温高圧環境下結合して惑星となった

この時、生まれたばかりの惑星表面には、深部のマグマのからかびがった黒鉛出来地殻があったとえられる

今回研究チームは、実験によってこの環境再現。使用した機器通常、極端圧力をかけた場合物質反応調べるためのものだが、同時合成ダイヤモンドの製造にも使われるこれによって水星のマントルの深部想定される高温、高圧環境せるという

研究チームはシリコンやチタンマグネシウムアルミニウムを合成混合物黒鉛のカプセルに、初期水星内部における理論上組成再現したその後、カプセルに地球上約7000倍圧力をかけ、温度最大2000度にまで上昇させたこれは数十億年前水星地殻付近発生していた圧力、温度条件なる

研究者らがけたサンプルの化学的組成などを電子顕微鏡調べたところカプセルを形成していた黒鉛はダイヤモンドの結晶わっていたという

水星太陽系地球いで密度惑星でありその内部巨大金属核(コア全体85%めるベルギーのリエージュ大学地質学部統括、今回研究結果報告する論文共著者でもあるベルナール・シャルリエによれば、水星火星比較して科学者での知見めてられているただ地球型惑星なり、太陽非常いことから酸素量極端なくそれが化学的組成影響えているという

米航空宇宙局(NASA)によるこれまでの調査から、水星炭素豊富その表面灰色なのは広範存在する黒鉛由来することがかっている。黒鉛炭素形成されるダイヤモンドもまた純度炭素出来ており、特定温度圧力られる

過去のデータで確認されていた水星における硫黄存在もまた、今回実験での重要知見となった。地球条件なり、硫黄豊富水星環境再現した実験では、硫黄まない場合よりもサンプルの融点がったシャルリエによれば、高圧して比較的低温という条件、安定的なダイヤモンドの形成にとってましいものだという

研究論文では、上記つの要因から水星でダイヤモンドが形成される可能性があると結論する

ダイヤモンドのさについて、研究では15~18キロとしているがこれはあくまでも推測ぎないとシャルリエ警告する。水星依然としてけるのにってダイヤモンドの形成なおいているからというのがその理由

それらのダイヤモンドは採掘できるのかという疑問、同氏将来技術進歩しても不可能だろうとの見方ダイヤモンドがまっているのは約500キロの地点だからだ

それでも、地球きている現象から類推するなら、水星でも地下深くのマントルがけて発生した溶岩一部地表上昇する際、ダイヤモンドをんでくるとえるのは合理的だとシャルリエ指摘する

Translation

  (CNN) A layer of diamonds up to 18 km thick might be hidden beneath the surface of Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system and the closest to the sun.

These diamonds were thought to have been formed shortly after Mercury was born about 4.5 billion years ago. Mercury was formed when vortices of dust and gas combined under high temperature and pressure to form a planet.

At that time, the surface of the newborn planet was thought to have had a crust made of graphite that rose from an ocean of magma deep down below.

This time the research team through experiments recreated the environment. The equipment used was usually used to study how materials react when subjected to extreme pressure, but it was also used to produce synthetic diamonds. This would allow them to create the high temperature and high pressure conditions expected deep in Mercury's mantle.

The team put a synthetic mixture containing silicon, titanium, magnesium, and aluminum into a graphite capsule to recreate the theoretical composition of the interior of early Mercury. They then subjected the capsule to pressures about 7,000 times that of Earth and increased the temperature to a maximum of 2,000 degrees. This corresponded to pressure and temperature conditions that existed near Mercury's crust billions of years ago.

When the researchers examined the chemical composition of the molten samples using an electron microscope, they found that the graphite that formed the capsule had turned into diamond crystals.

Mercury was the second densest planet in the solar system after Earth, and its interior was made up of a huge metal core that made up 85% of its total volume. According to Bernard Charlier, head of the geology department at the University of Liège in Belgium and co-author of the paper reporting the results of this research, scientists had very limited knowledge of Mercury compared to the Moon and Mars. However, unlike other terrestrial planets, Mercury's close proximity to the Sun could mean that the amount of oxygen would be extremely low, which might affect the planet’s chemical composition.

The studies by NASA so far had shown that Mercury would be rich in carbon, and that its grey surface was due to the widespread presence of graphite. Graphite was formed from carbon. Diamonds were also made of pure carbon and were formed under certain temperatures and pressures.

The presence of sulfur on Mercury, confirmed by previous data, was also an important finding for the current experiment. Unlike conditions on Earth, experiments that replicated Mercury's sulfur-rich environment lowered the melting point of samples compared to the environment without sulfur. According to Charlier, with the high pressure, the relatively low temperature was favorable for the formation of stable diamonds.

The paper concluded that these two factors made it possible for diamond to form on Mercury.

The study estimated that the diamond layer would be 15 to 18 kilometers thick, but Charlier warned that this was merely a guess. This was because diamonds were still forming as Mercury's core continued to cool.

When asked whether these diamonds could ever be mined, Charlier said it would be impossible even with future technological advances, since they were buried at a depth of about 500 kilometers.

However, Charlier noted that, based on what was happening on Earth, it would be reasonable to assume that on Mercury, when the mantle deep underground melted and some of the lava rose to the surface, diamonds too could be brought along.

              So, according to research, a layer of diamond up to 18 km thick may be hidden beneath the surface of Mercury, estimating that this diamond layer would be 15 to 18 kilometers thick and at a depth of about 500 kilometers. It is reasonable to assume that some diamond may be brought up to the surface as lava rises to the surface. I am wondering will this research attract human to explore the possibility in obtaining diamond from Mercury.

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