Origin of the Moon and Lunar Core Formation
Abstract
In a recent version of the giant impact hypothesis by O'Neill, the initial abundances of the siderophile elements in the lunar mantle were established not only by combining impactor material and proto-Earth material, but also by adding a late reduced veneer. O'Neal also appealed to the possible volatilities of some elements (Mo and W) under conditions of lunar accretion, and required the segregation of a small Ni-rich metallic core. An attempt to more rigorously model lunar core formation in the O'Neill scenario is made by correlating degree of partial melting to temperature and extrapolating the 1260 C partition coefficients to the appropriate temperatures along a constant redox buffer.
- Publication:
-
Physics and Chemistry of Magma Oceans from 1 Bar to 4 Mbar
- Pub Date:
- 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992pcmo.work...24H
- Keywords:
-
- Correlation;
- Earth-Moon System;
- Lunar Core;
- Lunar Evolution;
- Lunar Mantle;
- Mathematical Models;
- Meteoritic Damage;
- Moon;
- Partitions (Mathematics);
- Abundance;
- Chondrites;
- Extrapolation;
- Melting;
- Oxidation-Reduction Reactions;
- Silicates;
- Veneers;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration