| Institution(s) supplémentaire(s) | (1) Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, 1180 Brussels, Belgium (2) Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3000 Leuven, Belgium |
Abstract | Mercury's high mean density together with its small size implies a larger abundance of heavy elements compared to Earth, Venus and Mars, and therefore indicates a large core and a thin mantle. Mercury~s occupation of a Cassini state plays a pivotal role in the precise characterization of the core and mantle as it allows us to obtain independent estimates of their moments of inertia. Complemented with other data, notably geochemical data, some of Mercury's general interior properties are surprisingly well known for a planet that has only been visited by one orbiting spacecraft, although many basic questions remain unsolved. Mercury's unique internal structure also affects its thermal and magnetic evolution, which may be quite different from that of the other terrestrial planets of the Solar System. For example, at present, Mercury has a global magnetic field although the liquid part of the core may not be entirely convecting and convection in the mantle may have stopped. In this contribution, an overview of Mercury~s interior structure and evolution will be presented from a geodetic and geodynamic point of view. |
