Silicate Atmospheres: A study of proto-Mercury

We present a simple quantitative model to link the atmosphere of Mercury and its magma ocean, shortly after it was formed around 4.4 billion years ago. We use several models that describe the thermal evolution of the planet, the evaporation of the magma ocean, and the escape of its atmosphere to re-create the conditions of Mercury and its gaseous environment. This work is relevant to understand the evolution of Mercury-like planets.