A rare magnetic signal revealed lithium on Mercury, showing the planet is still being reshaped by meteoroid strikes.
For decades, scientists believed lithium might be hiding in Mercury ’s ultra-thin atmosphere, or exosphere, but every attempt to find it came up empty. Now, in a groundbreaking study, researchers have finally confirmed its presence, but not by spotting the lithium atoms directly. Instead, they detected its electromagnetic fingerprint. Using a trick involving magnetic waves, scientists have managed to pick up the unmistakable signature of lithium ions as they were swept up by the solar wind.
Data from MESSENGER mission helped detect ICWsThese waves have a very specific frequency that depends on the mass and charge of the ion involved, almost like a radio station tuned specifically to lithium. By digging through four years’ worth of magnetic field data collected by the MESSENGER spacecraft, the study authors found 12 separate events where these lithium-tuned waves appeared.
Mercury MESSENGER Solar System Space Sun
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