A New Era of Modeling Giant Planet Thermal Evolution

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In this project, Dr. Fortney and his collaborators will create a new code to compute the thermal evolution histories of Neptune-class and Jupiter-class giant planets. Within the solar system, this standard theory fails to explain the current luminosity of three of the four giant planets. The main strength of this new code will be its ability to treat the evolution of planets with inhomogeneous interior structures. The new planetary code will include high-pressure equations of state, molecular and atomic opacities, irradiated model atmospheres, and advanced treatments of convection in regions of composition gradients. It is anticipated that the work will improve our understanding of planets in our solar system and around other stars. The team will release the new codes code to the community of planetary science researchers. This project will also support efforts to inform the public through public presentations and on the Internet.