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<p>Mercury’s exosphere contains various neutral species, including hydrogen, helium, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, and manganese. Although lithium has been predicted to exist, it had not been detected until now. Here, we demonstrate the presence of lithium in Mercury’s exosphere, using data from the Mercury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft. The sporadic detection of lithium suggests its meteoritic origin, likely released through evaporation caused by sporadic meteoroid impacts. Our findings provide strong evidence supporting the hypothesis that (micro-)meteoroids and larger meteoroids, which have continuously and sporadically impacted Mercury’s surface over billions of years, are a significant source of volatile elements and contributed substantially to Mercury’s unexpectedly volatile-rich surface. This detection emphasizes the significant role of meteoroids in shaping Mercury’s exosphere and provides insights into the planet’s evolution and the history of volatile elements in the Solar System.</p>

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Detection of lithium in the exosphere of Mercury

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月5日

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  • Daniel Schmid,
  • Helmut Lammer,
  • Alexey A. Berezhnoy,
  • Fabian Weichbold,
  • Manuel Scherf,
  • Ali Varsani,
  • Martin Volwerk,
  • Cyril Simon-Wedlund,
  • Wolfgang Baumjohann,
  • Rumi Nakamura,
  • Go Murakami,
  • Ferdinand Plaschke

摘要

Mercury’s exosphere contains various neutral species, including hydrogen, helium, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, and manganese. Although lithium has been predicted to exist, it had not been detected until now. Here, we demonstrate the presence of lithium in Mercury’s exosphere, using data from the Mercury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft. The sporadic detection of lithium suggests its meteoritic origin, likely released through evaporation caused by sporadic meteoroid impacts. Our findings provide strong evidence supporting the hypothesis that (micro-)meteoroids and larger meteoroids, which have continuously and sporadically impacted Mercury’s surface over billions of years, are a significant source of volatile elements and contributed substantially to Mercury’s unexpectedly volatile-rich surface. This detection emphasizes the significant role of meteoroids in shaping Mercury’s exosphere and provides insights into the planet’s evolution and the history of volatile elements in the Solar System.