Constraints on terrestrial planet formation timescales and equilibration processes in the Grand Tack scenario from Hf-W isotopic evolution

Nicholas G. Zube*, Francis Nimmo, Rebecca A. Fischer, Seth Andrew Jacobson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examine 141 N-body simulations of terrestrial planet late-stage accretion that use the Grand Tack scenario, coupling the collisional results with a hafnium-tungsten (Hf-W) isotopic evolution model. Accretion in the Grand Tack scenario results in faster planet formation than classical accretion models because of higher planetesimal surface density induced by a migrating Jupiter. Planetary embryos that grow rapidly experience radiogenic ingrowth of mantle 182W that is inconsistent with the measured terrestrial composition, unless much of the tungsten is removed by an impactor core that mixes thoroughly with the target mantle. For physically Earth-like surviving planets, we find that the fraction of equilibrating impactor core kcore≥ 0.6 is required to produce results agreeing with observed terrestrial tungsten anomalies (assuming equilibration with relatively large volumes of target mantle material; smaller equilibrating mantle volumes would require even larger kcore). This requirement of substantial core re-equilibration may be difficult to reconcile with fluid dynamical predictions and hydrocode simulations of mixing during large impacts, and hence this result does not favor the rapid planet building that results from Grand Tack accretion.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)210-218
Number of pages9
JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume522
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 15 2019

Funding

We would like to thank Thorsten Kleine and an anonymous reviewer for helpful comments. This work was supported by NASA Headquarters under the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program – Grant 80NSSC17K0479 and by Grant NNX17AE27G .

Keywords

  • accretion
  • equilibration
  • hafnium
  • impact
  • isotope
  • tungsten

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Geophysics
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Space and Planetary Science

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