University of Copenhagen: Earth and Mars formed the News Horizon, but they took different paths

Bethlehem - Ofoq News - Scientists at the University of Copenhagen discovered that Earth and Mars, although they formed close to each other about 4.5 billion years ago, developed along completely different paths.

Nature Astronomy magazine indicates that, according to scientists, the key to this mystery lies in the concentration of volatile elements in the two planets’ atmospheres and crusts.

According to scientists, rocky planets can grow through collisions of large objects (asteroids), accretion of gravel (attraction of small particles), or a combination of these two processes. The new study confirmed the mixed model, but also revealed that the ratios of these two processes differ greatly between Earth and Mars.

Haiyan Wang, an assistant professor at the university, points out that approximately 75 percent of the Earth's mass was formed from two protoplanets resulting from the accumulation of gravel, while asteroids contributed only 25 percent. As for Mars, the situation is reversed - 75 percent of its mass was formed from asteroids, while the remaining quarter was formed from the accumulation of gravel.

To reconstruct the planets' history, researchers analyzed volatile elements such as sodium, zinc and potassium in their crusts and mantles. Because these elements evaporate easily at high temperatures, their current abundance reveals information about the conditions under which planets formed.

Scientists have used computer models to test which scenarios best match the composition of the planets studied. Although the exact composition of the basic components of the solar system is unknown, differences between Earth and Mars remain even when the model parameters are changed.

The method used in this study gives a more accurate picture of planetary composition than common isotope analysis, which is subject to multiple interpretations. This approach will help in the future, in the study of rocky planets outside the solar system. The conditions under which a planet forms affect the amount of volatile materials, including water, it can hold. Understanding how planets lose volatiles as they form will allow scientists to more accurately predict how habitable exoplanets are.