Nature Communications (Jan 2021)

Nickel isotopic evidence for late-stage accretion of Mercury-like differentiated planetary embryos

  • Shui-Jiong Wang,
  • Wenzhong Wang,
  • Jian-Ming Zhu,
  • Zhongqing Wu,
  • Jingao Liu,
  • Guilin Han,
  • Fang-Zhen Teng,
  • Shichun Huang,
  • Hongjie Wu,
  • Yujian Wang,
  • Guangliang Wu,
  • Weihan Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20525-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

Read online

Based on Nickel isotope analysis of meteorites and terrestrial rocks, the authors suggest that the Bulk Silicate Earth has a sub-chondritic Nickel isotope composition. This signature is thought to result from the impact and accretion of a Mercury-like impactor which originated from the innermost Solar System.