A new model developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that Pluto's icy heart may have formed through a process called "magma ocean differentiation." This process occurs when a planet's interior heats up and melts, causing the heavier materials to sink to the core and the lighter materials to rise to the surface. This process forms a layered structure, with a rocky core, a mantle made of silicate minerals, and an outer layer of ice.

The team's model shows how this process could have occurred on Pluto early in its history. The model suggests that Pluto's interior heated up due to the energy released from radioactive elements in the core and from gravitational forces during its formation. This heat caused the ice on Pluto's surface to melt, forming a global magma ocean. Over time, the heavier elements in the magma ocean sank to the core, while the lighter elements rose to the surface, eventually forming Pluto's icy crust.

The model's results are consistent with observations of Pluto's surface and interior structure, which suggest that it has a layered structure with a rocky core and an outer layer of ice. The model also helps to explain the presence of certain chemical elements and minerals on Pluto's surface, which could have formed through the process of magma ocean differentiation.

The findings shed light on the formation and evolution of Pluto's icy heart and offer a new perspective on how this distant, icy world came to be.