Abstract
This white paper, written in support of NASA's 2023-2032 Planetary Decadal Survey, outlines 10 major questions that focus on the origin, evolution, and current processes that shape the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune. Prioritizing these questions over the next decade will greatly improve our understanding of this unique class of planets, which have remained largely unexplored since the Voyager flybys. Studying the atmospheres of the Ice Giants will greatly inform our understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system as a whole, in addition to the growing number of exoplanetary systems that contain Neptune-mass planets.
Highlights
The atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune can provide a rich laboratory to explore diverse chemical and dynamical processes in the unique parameter space that they occupy. This white paper's objective is to identify the most important science questions that can be answered through studying the Ice Giants' atmospheres, by flight missions, ground-based observation, and/or theoretical work and modeling
While these questions focus on the origin, evolution, and current processes that shape the Ice Giants, answering these questions will greatly inform our understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system as a whole in addition to the growing number of exoplanetary systems that contain Neptune-mass planets
What does the Ice Giants’ atmospheric composition, especially the abundances of noble gases and chemical isotopes, reveal about their migration and formation history? How can those measurements inform our understanding of the origin of the solar system?
Summary
The atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune can provide a rich laboratory to explore diverse chemical and dynamical processes in the unique parameter space that they occupy This white paper's objective is to identify the most important science questions that can be answered through studying the Ice Giants' atmospheres, by flight missions, ground-based observation, and/or theoretical work and modeling. While these questions focus on the origin, evolution, and current processes that shape the Ice Giants, answering these questions will greatly inform our understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system as a whole in addition to the growing number of exoplanetary systems that contain Neptune-mass planets. For a general overview of Ice Giant system science, see the white paper “Exploration of the Ice Giant Systems” as prepared by Beddingfield and Li et al For a focus on the deep regions of Ice Giant atmospheres, see “Prospects to study the Ice Giants with the ngVLA” from de Pater et al
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