ISAE-SUPAERO researchers got the Newcomb Cleveland Prize for their paper “Seismic detection of the martian core” published in the Science journal

“From seismic wave reflections on the boundary between the core and mantle of Mars, the team was able to determine that Mars has a large core. A large core implies a mantle mineralogically similar to the terrestrial upper mantle and transition zone but differing from Earth by not having a bridgmanite-dominated lower mantle. However, Mars differs from Earth in its core. The Martian core is much less dense, implying that a number of light elements such as oxygen and sulfur are dissolved in the iron and nickel core. This observation is hardly compatible with classical models of planet formation.”

The Newcomb Cleveland Prize is awarded once a year for an “outstanding” article published in the journal Science during the previous year. The winning paper is chosen based on the quality of the research, innovation, likelihood of influencing the field of research, and the interdisciplinary importance of the paper.

“We will receive $25,000, which we have decided to donate to Doctors Without Borders, to help the victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria” - Mélanie Drilleau, Raphaël Garcia.

Direct access to the article for subscribers: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abi7730

To download the article (link expires on April 11, 2023): https://jirafeau.isae-supaero.fr/f.php?h=1q62giG-&d=1