Rocky core solubility in Jupiter and giant exoplanets

TL;DR

This study uses ab initio calculations to show that MgO, a rocky material, is highly soluble in hydrogen at high temperatures, suggesting core material in gas giants can dissolve and redistribute over time.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed ab initio analysis of rocky core solubility in hydrogen, with implications for planetary structure and evolution models.

Findings

MgO is highly soluble in hydrogen above 10,000 K.

Significant redistribution of rocky core material is possible in gas giants.

Core dissolution could affect planetary interior models.

Abstract

Gas giants are believed to form by the accretion of hydrogen-helium gas around an initial protocore of rock and ice. The question of whether the rocky parts of the core dissolve into the fluid H-He layers following formation has significant implications for planetary structure and evolution. Here we use ab initio calculations to study rock solubility in fluid hydrogen, choosing MgO as a representative example of planetary rocky materials, and find MgO to be highly soluble in H for temperatures in excess of approximately 10000 K, implying significant redistribution of rocky core material in Jupiter and larger exoplanets.