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Exploration of Uranus and Neptune: Looking Into the Past and Towards the Future of Ice Giant Planets

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Exploration of Uranus and Neptune: Looking Into the Past and Towards the Future of Ice Giant Planets 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 1669.pdf EXPLORATION OF URANUS AND NEPTUNE: LOOKING INTO THE PAST AND TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF ICE GIANT PLANETS. K. M. Soderlund1, M. D. Hofstadter2, A. Simon3, S. Atreya4, D. Ban- field5, J. Fortney6, A. Hayes5, M. Hedman7, G. Hospodarsky8, K. Mandt9, A. Masters10, M. Showalter11, D. Turrini12, E. P. Turtle9, 1Institute for Geophysics, John A. & Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin ([email protected]), 2Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech, 3Goddard Space Flight Center, 4University of Michigan Ann Arbor, 5Cornell University, 6University of California Santa Cruz, 7University of Idaho, 8University of Iowa, 9Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, 10Imperial College London UK, 11SETI Insti- tute, 12Institue for Space Astrophysics and Planetology Rome Italy. Discovered in 1781 by William Herschel, Uranus is exist of their relative abundances [6]. Since these spe- one of two ice giant planets in our solar system. Nep- cies are thought to have been incorporated into proto- tune was discovered 65 years later in 1846 by Johann planets primarily as ices, the term “ice giants” has been adopted. Today, however, a supercritical fluid is Galle following the orbital predictions of Urbain Le the preferred phase of H2O at depth. Verrier and John Couch Adams. Our closest glimpse of these planets came from the Voyager 2 flybys, The internal structures of these planets are poorly reaching the Uranian system in 1986 and the Neptuni- constrained, and no existing models can fit both an system in 1989. With the advent of space-based gravity field and intrinsic heat flux measurements telescopes and advanced optics techniques, observa- without ad hoc assumptions [7]. Significant questions tions of ice giant planets continue to propel new dis- remain, such as: Are there distinct compositional coveries of both their physical and chemical proper- boundaries in the interior? What parts of these planets ties, as well as their prevalence around other stars [1]. are convective and what are the resulting flow charac- Complementarily, laboratory and numerical experi- teristics in the deep interior? ments facilitate process-based studies that not only advance our understanding of these observations, but These questions have important consequences for the also help explain how and why differences exist be- intrinsic magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune that tween Uranus and Neptune in particular and across are presumably driven by a convective dynamo in the giant planets more broadly. ionic ocean [8]. The multipolar, non-axisymmetric field morphologies of these planets were a surprise Uranus and Neptune are important to study because upon their discovery, and it is still not well under- they challenge our understanding of how planets form stood why these fields are remarkably different com- and evolve, display unique physical properties in their pared to all other planets in our solar system [9]. The interiors, atmospheres, magnetospheres, rings, and lack of alignment between the rotation and magnetic satellites, and are common around other stars [2]. By poles creates unique and variable orientations to the deciphering the mysteries of the ice giants in our solar solar wind, particularly on Uranus whose rotation axis system, we will simultaneously make fundamental is almost in the plane of its orbit [10]. insights into the formation, evolution, and workings of planetary systems in general. The tilt of Uranus is one of several intriguing differ- ences compared to Neptune. Another major distinc- What We Know (And Don’t Know): Uranus and tion is that, unlike all of the other the giant planets, Neptune represent a distinct class of ice giant planets Uranus emits little internal heat [11,12]. Despite these that are fundamentally different from the better ex- differences, the atmospheric dynamics of both planets plored gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn. The gas giants are superficially quite similar with retrograde equato- are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with rial jets and prograde jets poleward of the mid- molecular H2 transitioning to metallic hydrogen at latitudes [13]. Storm activity, however, does vary mega-bar pressures that may form a dilute core with between the two planets, with Neptune showing a dissolved heavy elements at greater depths [3,4]. very dynamic atmosphere with multiple storms while While Uranus and Neptune also possess hydrogen and Uranus was quiescent during the Voyager encounter helium envelopes, the envelopes are much smaller, with subsequent periods of extreme activity [14,15]. accounting for less than 20% of the planets’ masses Meridional circulations, especially at depth, are poor- and never making the transition to metallic hydrogen ly characterized, despite being the main driver of all [3; c.f. 5]. The bulk composition of these planets is atmospheric motions. dominated by much heavier elements. Based on cos- mic abundances, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur The rings and satellites of the ice giants also differ are the likely candidates, although few measurements markedly from those of the gas giants and from each 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 1669.pdf other. Uranus’ classical rings are narrow and dense, The highest-priority science objectives identified by quite different from the broad expanse of Saturn’s or this study [2] trace to internal structure and bulk com- the tenuous ones at Jupiter; the rings are also gravita- position (including noble gases and isotopic ratios) of tionally entwined with a densely packed system of the ice giants. These fundamental properties are nec- smaller moons that interact chaotically on short time essary to understand the formation, evolution, and scales [16]. Neptune’s rings display their own unique workings of an ice giant. Ten additional science ob- features, dominated by large clumps that evolve on jectives, all given equal priority, were also identified decadal timescales [17]. Many questions remain to be to advance our understanding of atmospheric dynam- answered on what processes control the ring struc- ics, intrinsic magnetic fields and magnetospheres, tures, dynamics, and their temporal variability. rings, and satellites of the ice giants. These objec- tives, in condensed form, include: Uranus hosts several mid-sized moons whose surface ices are different from those of Jupiter and Saturn’s • exploring the nature and driving forces of atmos- satellites, as would be expected given the colder tem- pheric dynamics; peratures in the zone of the ice giants. These mid- • understanding the planetary dynamo and the flow sized moons show features indicative of endogenic of energy and mass from the solar wind into the activity, such as Miranda’s patchwork geologic mor- magnetosphere and upper atmosphere; phology, the flow-like features on the floors of Ariel’s • characterizing the thin, dense rings of Uranus, in- graben, and Umbriel’s bright polar feature. The cluding their chaotic gravitational interplay with smaller satellite Mab is also associated with a myste- small moons, and the clumpy rings of Neptune; rious ring [18]. Neptune’s satellite system is dominat- • and determining the geology, composition, and in- ed by the captured Kuiper Belt object, Triton. That ternal structure of Uranus' major satellites and Tri- capture is believed to have ejected or destroyed any ton, along with its atmosphere and plumes. larger, native moons of Neptune [19], leaving only a Uranus and Neptune are equally valuable and family of small native moons today. But Triton itself compelling as scientific targets. While equal, howev- is of great interest, having an atmosphere, active gey- er, they are not equivalent. Each planet teaches us sers, and unusual geology. Since only the southern different things, and there is tremendous value in vis- hemispheres were illuminated during the Voyager iting both Uranus and Neptune with orbiter-probe flybys, we have an incomplete picture of these satel- spacecrafts. lites and critical information about the moons’ geolo- gies, compositions, and internal structures is lacking. References: [1] Borucki, W. et al. (2011) ApJ, 736, 19. [2] Hofstadter, M. et al. (2017) JPL Doc. 100520. The ice giants challenge our understanding of planet https://www.lpi.usra.edu/icegiants/mission_study/ [3] formation and evolution [20]. Their smaller amounts Guillot, T. (2005) Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 33, of hydrogen and helium is often attributed to the 493-530. [4] Wahl, S. et al. (2017) Geophys. Res. slower accretion rates at larger distances from the Lett, 44, 4649-4659. [5] Nellis, W. (2017) AIP Conf. Sun. However, recent models of solar system for- Proc., 1793, 090002. [6] Mousis, O. et al. (2018) PSS, mation suggest that Uranus and Neptune may have 155, 12-40. [7] Nettelmann, N. et al. (2016) Icarus, undergone substantial radial migration during the ear- 275, 107-116. [8] Soderlund, K. et al. (2013) Icarus, ly parts of the solar system’s history, complicating 224, 97-113. [9] Schubert, G. and Soderlund, K. efforts to understand the conditions under which the (2011) PEPI, 187, 92-108. [10] Bagenal, F. (1992) ice giants formed. Furthermore, Uranus’ extreme Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 20, 289. [11] Pearl, J. obliquity and Neptune’s capture of Triton suggest that et al. (1990) Icarus, 84, 12-28. [12] Pearl, J. and Con- both systems experienced dramatic events in their rath, B. (1991) JGR Planets, 96, 18921-18930. [13] early history, which perhaps reflect drastic changes in Sanchez-Lavega, A. and Heimpel, M. (2018) In the structure of the early outer solar system. Handbook of Exoplanets. [14] Hammel, H. et al. (1995) Science, 268, 1740. [15] de Pater, I. et al. Future Exploration: We have not yet carried out a (2015) Icarus, 252, 121-128. [16] Nicholson, P. et al. detailed exploration of either ice giant, leaving signif- (2018) In Planetary Ring Systems. [17] de Pater, I. et icant holes in our understanding of these systems. The al.
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