Metallic hydrogen dominates the deep interiors of giant planets, where trace elements interact with dense quantum matter under extreme pressure. We investigate the thermodynamic stability of noble-gas impurities (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) in metallic hydrogen at 500 GPa using ab initio molecular dynamics combined with first-principles free-energy calculations. In the solid metallic phase, all noble gases exhibit positive formation free energies, driven by unfavorable electronic enthalpy and zero-point vibrational contributions. By contrast, heavier noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe) appear soluble in liquid hydrogen, while He and Ne phase separate. This crossover reflects a competition between electronic repulsion and disorder-driven stabilization intrinsic to the liquid phase. Our results reveal noble-gas retention in metallic hydrogen, providing a microscopic mechanism for noble-gas fractionation in giant-planet interiors.
@article{arxiv.2604.02732,
title = {Noble-Gas Solubility in Solid and Fluid Metallic Hydrogen},
author = {Jakkapat Seeyangnok and Udomsilp Pinsook and Graeme J Ackland},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.02732},
year = {2026}
}