Spin state and deep interior structure of Mars from InSight radio tracking

Sébastien Le Maistre (), Attilio Rivoldini, Alfonso Caldiero, Marie Yseboodt, Rose-Marie Baland, Mikael Beuthe, Tim Van Hoolst, Véronique Dehant, William M. Folkner, Dustin Buccino, Daniel Kahan, Jean-Charles Marty, Daniele Antonangeli, James Badro, Mélanie Drilleau, Alex Konopliv, Marie-Julie Péters, Ana-Catalina Plesa, Henri Samuel, Nicola Tosi, Mark Wieczorek, Philippe Lognonné, Mark Panning, Suzanne Smrekar and W. Bruce Banerdt
Additional contact information
Sébastien Le Maistre: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Attilio Rivoldini: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Alfonso Caldiero: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Marie Yseboodt: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Rose-Marie Baland: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Mikael Beuthe: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Tim Van Hoolst: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Véronique Dehant: Royal Observatory of Belgium
William M. Folkner: California Institute of Technology
Dustin Buccino: California Institute of Technology
Daniel Kahan: California Institute of Technology
Jean-Charles Marty: Centre National d’Études Spatiales
Daniele Antonangeli: Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS
James Badro: Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS
Mélanie Drilleau: Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace SUPAERO
Alex Konopliv: California Institute of Technology
Marie-Julie Péters: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Ana-Catalina Plesa: DLR Institute of Planetary Research
Henri Samuel: Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS
Nicola Tosi: DLR Institute of Planetary Research
Mark Wieczorek: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Philippe Lognonné: Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS
Mark Panning: California Institute of Technology
Suzanne Smrekar: California Institute of Technology
W. Bruce Banerdt: California Institute of Technology

Nature, 2023, vol. 619, issue 7971, 733-737

Abstract: Abstract Knowledge of the interior structure and atmosphere of Mars is essential to understanding how the planet has formed and evolved. A major obstacle to investigations of planetary interiors, however, is that they are not directly accessible. Most of the geophysical data provide global information that cannot be separated into contributions from the core, the mantle and the crust. The NASA InSight mission changed this situation by providing high-quality seismic and lander radio science data1,2. Here we use the InSight’s radio science data to determine fundamental properties of the core, mantle and atmosphere of Mars. By precisely measuring the rotation of the planet, we detected a resonance with a normal mode that allowed us to characterize the core and mantle separately. For an entirely solid mantle, we found that the liquid core has a radius of 1,835 ± 55 km and a mean density of 5,955–6,290 kg m−3, and that the increase in density at the core–mantle boundary is 1,690–2,110 kg m−3. Our analysis of InSight’s radio tracking data argues against the existence of a solid inner core and reveals the shape of the core, indicating that there are internal mass anomalies deep within the mantle. We also find evidence of a slow acceleration in the Martian rotation rate, which could be the result of a long-term trend either in the internal dynamics of Mars or in its atmosphere and ice caps.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06150-0

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