PulseExploreJournal ClubDebatesTrendingResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeExploreJournal ClubTrending
Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
March 19, 2026Journal of Geophysical Research Planets0 citationsOpen Access

Effects of Hydrogen on Fe‐S Alloys and Their Implications for the Martian Core

View Full Paper
XWXuehui WeiSCS. CharitonVPVitali B. Prakapenka

Key Points

  • This research aims to explore how hydrogen affects iron-sulfur alloys under Martian core conditions.
  • Utilized laser-heated diamond-anvil cells to simulate Martian core conditions.
  • Investigated phase relations in Fe-S systems with varying hydrogen levels.
  • Analyzed the co-alloying behavior of sulfur and hydrogen in iron.
  • Hydrogen destabilizes the phase relations in iron-sulfur alloys.
  • At low sulfur and hydrogen contents, a hydrogen-rich metallic liquid forms, coexisting with a sulfur-rich solid phase.
  • The stable solidus phase shifts with increasing hydrogen content, affecting core composition.

Abstract

Abstract Meteorites suggest the Martian core comprises iron (Fe) or iron‐nickel (Fe‐Ni) alloy with sulfur (S) identified as the primary light element. The InSight data revealed a larger, less dense Martian core than previously estimated, indicating additional light elements. Recent studies have considered hydrogen (H) as a light element candidate for the Martian core. However, the co‐alloying behaviors of S and H in Fe metal at the Martian core conditions are not well understood. This study investigates the influences of H and its amount on phase relations in the Fe‐S systems under the pressure‐temperature conditions relevant to the Mars core in laser‐heated diamond‐anvil cells. We found that hydrogen destabilizes . At low S and H contents upon melting, the Fe–S–H ternary produces H‐rich metallic liquid coexisting with S‐rich solid alloy phase. Stable solidus phase changes from to FeS to with an increase in content in the medium from 0.06 to 0.18 to 0.33 wt%. The cotectic line inferred from our data is located close to the S (13–15 wt%) and H (<2 wt%) contents considered geochemically plausible for Mars. The observation provides a compelling explanation for the possible difference in light element composition between the molten Martian outer core and the recently found solid inner core inferred from geophysical observations. This study sheds light on the interplay of S and H for Fe metal, offering important insights for possible core mineralogy for Mars and sub‐Earth rocky exoplanets across various scenarios for the H and S contents.

Ask AI
Helpful
Bookmark
Share
View Full Paper

Cite This Study

Wei et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69bb928c496e729e6297ffd0https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009217
Ask AI
Helpful
Bookmark
Share
View Full Paper