# A short-lived heat source released the early nickel

> Still possible: The early excess of nickel came from a brief heat source at 100 to 140 K, possibly amorphous water ice turning crystalline, on top of the…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/answers/ANS0DFQ197S5Z8J/a-short-lived-heat-source-released-the-early-nickel  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[3I/ATLAS](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas)[Why did nickel vapour appear around 3I/ATLAS without iron, so far from the Sun?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/questions/QST0DFQ0SJDC3TY/why-did-nickel-vapour-appear-around-3i-atlas-without-iron-so)Answer

Answer · 3I/ATLAS

# A short-lived heat source released the early nickel

The early excess of nickel came from a brief heat source at 100 to 140 K, possibly amorphous water ice turning crystalline, on top of the steady carbonyl release.

**Still possible** Answers **1** question0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** One piece of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Crystalline ice appears in the dust after the transition
- No second nickel excess on the outbound leg at the same temperatures

## What would rule it out

- A carbonyl model alone fits the inbound nickel curve

## Evidence 1 for · none against

[Carbonyls alone miss the early nickel excess](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/evidence/EVD0DFQ4K00TXQE/carbonyls-alone-miss-the-early-nickel-excess)

Suggestive

FOR

## The questions it answers

[Why did nickel vapour appear around 3I/ATLAS without iron, so far from the Sun?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/questions/QST0DFQ0SJDC3TY/why-did-nickel-vapour-appear-around-3i-atlas-without-iron-so)

Part of [What is 3I/ATLAS made of, and why is its chemistry so unlike a Solar System comet's?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/questions/QST0DFQ0HS0K7SD/what-is-3i-atlas-made-of-and-why-is-its-chemistry-so-unlike)

Open2 answers, none ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). A short-lived heat source released the early nickel [Answer ANS0DFQ197S5Z8J]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DFQ197S5Z8J
```

Key

**ANS** 0DFQ197S5Z8J

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Proposed

[Session 1](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/sessions/SES0DFQC03S98K5/session-1-3i-atlas-opened-the-literature-to-november-2026) · 2 Nov 2026

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