The interiors of Uranus and Neptune: current understanding and open questions
Ravit Helled,Jonathan J. Fortney +1 more
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TLDR
This review focuses on the things the authors do not know about the interiors of Uranus and Neptune with a focus on why the planets may be different, rather than the same.Abstract:
Uranus and Neptune form a distinct class of planets in our Solar System. Given this fact, and ubiquity of similar-mass planets in other planetary systems, it is essential to understand their interior structure and composition. However, there are more open questions regarding these planets than answers. In this review, we concentrate on the things we do not know about the interiors of Uranus and Neptune with a focus on why the planets may be different, rather than the same. We next summarize the knowledge about the planets' internal structure and evolution. Finally, we identify the topics that should be investigated further on the theoretical front as well as required observations from space missions. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Future exploration of ice giant systems'.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Neptune and Uranus: ice or rock giants?
TL;DR: This article considers how observations of Neptune’s atmospheric temperature and composition can provide further constraints and suggests a rock giant provides a more consistent match to available atmospheric observations.
Journal ArticleDOI
Auroral emissions from Uranus and Neptune
TL;DR: Uranus and Neptune possess highly tilted/offset magnetic fields whose interaction with the solar wind shapes unique twin asymmetric, highly dynamical, magnetospheres, which radiate complex auroral emissions, both reminiscent of those observed at the other planets and unique to the ice giants as discussed by the authors.
Journal ArticleDOI
Science Goals and Mission Objectives for the Future Exploration of Ice Giants Systems: A Horizon 2061 Perspective
Michel Blanc,Michel Blanc,Kathleen Mandt,Olivier Mousis,Nicolas André,Alexis Bouquet,Sébastien Charnoz,Kathleen L. Craft,Magali Deleuil,Léa Griton,Ravit Helled,Ricardo Hueso,L. Lamy,L. Lamy,Corentin Louis,Jonathan I. Lunine,Thomas Ronnet,J. Schmidt,Krista M. Soderlund,Diego Turrini,Elizabeth P. Turtle,Pierre Vernazza,Olivier Witasse +22 more
TL;DR: It is shown that a long-term plan for the space exploration of ice giants and their systems will greatly contribute to answer these questions, and an optimized choice of platforms and flight sequences makes it possible to address a broad range of the key science questions.
Posted Content
Uranus and Neptune are key to understand planets with hydrogen atmospheres
TL;DR: In this paper, the atmospheric dynamics and structure of the last unexplored planets of the Solar System, including Uranus and Neptune, have been studied and the authors show that they hold crucial keys to understand the atmosphere dynamics and structures of planets with hydrogen atmospheres.
Journal ArticleDOI
Ariel planetary interiors White Paper
Ravit Helled,Stephanie C. Werner,Caroline Dorn,Tristan Guillot,Masahiro Ikoma,Yuichi Ito,Mihkel Kama,Tim Lichtenberg,Yamila Miguel,Yamila Miguel,Oliver Shorttle,Paul J. Tackley,Diana Valencia,Allona Vazan +13 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors outline the ongoing activities of the interior working group of the Ariel mission, and list the desirable theoretical developments as well as the challenges in linking planetary atmospheres, bulk composition and interior structure.
References
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The Interiors of Uranus and Neptune: Current Understanding and Open Questions
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