New simulations uncover a surprising oxygen boost beneath Jupiter’s clouds
In a development that could rewrite chapters of planetary formation, researchers using advanced computer models have found that Jupiter may contain more oxygen than the Sun. The finding challenges long-standing assumptions about the distribution of heavy elements in the early solar system and offers fresh clues about how giant planets gather their atmospheres.
For decades, scientists have studied Jupiter’s deep interior by combining data from spacecraft flybys, weather-like storms, and the chemistry of the planet’s cloud layers. Yet direct measurements of the deepest layers remained out of reach. The new simulations, run on powerful supercomputers and guided by laboratory experiments, explore ices, rocks, and metallic compounds under pressures and temperatures far beyond Earthly conditions. They suggest that oxygen-bearing compounds were delivered and trapped in Jupiter’s interior in amounts that exceed what would be expected if the planet merely accreted material from the solar nebula in a uniform manner.
Why oxygen matters: Oxygen is a key tracer of how planets form. In the solar system’s infancy, the distribution of oxygen relative to hydrogen and helium helps scientists infer where and how efficiently solid materials condensed into ices and rocks. Jupiter, with its massive gravity and deep interior, acts like a giant sieve, pulling in materials from varying regions of the solar nebula. If Jupiter’s interior stores more oxygen than the Sun, it implies a more complex history of accretion and mixing than previously assumed.
How the simulations were built
The research team combined equations of state for water, silicates, and metallic hydrogen with high-pressure physics to simulate Jupiter’s interior across different layers. They also incorporated clues from the planet’s magnetic field, gravitational measurements, and the behavior of hydrogen under extreme pressures. By adjusting variables such as the initial composition of the solar nebula and the timing of material delivery, the models reproduced a structure in which oxygen-rich zones persist deeper inside than standard models would predict.
The simulations didn’t merely tweak one parameter; they explored a spectrum of realistic formation scenarios. Some scenarios point to rapid accretion of icy bodies from beyond the so-called snow line, while others align with slower accumulation, followed by vigorous internal mixing driven by Jupiter’s rotation and convection. In several of these plausible routes, oxygen remains highly concentrated in the deeper layers, contributing to a total oxygen content that surpasses the Sun’s surface abundance.
Implications for planetary formation theories
The idea that Jupiter could harbor more oxygen than the Sun invites a reevaluation of how gas giants accumulate their atmospheres and cores. If oxygen-rich material was efficiently delivered to Jupiter’s interior, similar processes might have occurred in other gas giants, both in our solar system and around other stars. This could affect how scientists interpret measurements of exoplanets, particularly those with extreme internal pressures and temperatures.
Moreover, the finding could influence models of the early solar system’s architecture. A higher-than-expected oxygen inventory in Jupiter may reflect dynamic mixing between the inner and outer regions of the protoplanetary disk, or episodes of late-stage delivery of volatile-rich bodies. Either way, the study highlights the importance of combining observational data with cutting-edge simulations to probe places in planets that telemetry can’t reach.
What’s next for Jupiter research
Upcoming missions and improved instrumentation will help validate these simulation results. Precision measurements of Jupiter’s gravitational field, atmospheric composition, and deeper magnetic signals can test whether the interior really hosts an unexpected abundance of oxygen. If confirmed, the discovery would enrich our understanding of how the diverse family of planets – from scorching hot Jupiters to ice giants – formed and evolved in the chaotic early days of the solar system.
Bottom line
Jupiter’s interior may hold more oxygen than the Sun, a surprising twist that underscores how much there is left to learn about our own planetary neighborhood. As simulations become ever more sophisticated, they offer a powerful glimpse into the hidden chemistry below Jupiter’s imposing cloudscape and into the broader story of planetary origins.
