[meteorite-list] Mercury?

From: Starbits_at_aol.com <Starbits_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:44:15 2004
Message-ID: <85.c638f05.286e0969_at_aol.com>

In a message dated 29-Jun-01 12:17:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
mlblood_at_home.com writes:

<< In spite of the post indicating many believe anything leaving the
 pull of Murcury would INVARIABLY be pulled to the sun, many DO
 believe the E Chondrites are from Murcury (because some constituent
 of the E Chondrites requires heat only found that close to the sun) >>

    The E chondrites are believed to come from the inner solar system, but
are definately NOT from mercury. Mercury is a differentiated planet, in
other words it got hot enough to melt and the heavy metals migrated to the
core. Current computer models set Mercury's core radius at 1,800 km about
75% of the radius of the planet. The remaining silicate rock would have also
been melted in core formation and any chondrules would have been destroyed in
the alteration just like on earth. None of the rocky planets, mercury,
venus, earth, or mars could possibly be the source of chondritic material.
     The above does not mean that material from mercury couldn't have been
transfered to earth, however unlikely. To determine if there is a meteorite
from mercury it will require a probe set to mercury that can analyze isotopic
ratios which can then be compared to the current meteorite inventory.
Mercury is currently the step child of planetary science projects with no
flybys or probes funded or approved. Don't expect to see a confirmed
meteorite from mercury available for sale any time soon, except on eBay of
course ;-)

Eric Olson
http://www.star-bits.com
Received on Fri 29 Jun 2001 12:40:09 PM PDT