Solar System Planetary Science at Oxford 2016-2019

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This proposal in planetary physics ranges from studying the atmospheres of the Giant Planets through to studying the reflectance and thermal properties of airless bodies such as asteroids, which are the primary ways in which these bodies can be studied. The programme outlines a coordinated effort to: 1) measure and understand the fluid circulations, cloud condensation and photochemistry in giant planet atmospheres, both within the Solar System and beyond; and 2) measure and interpret the spectra of airless planetary bodies to better understand their origins, composition and soil structure. We have four main projects that are complementary.1. The first project explores the dynamic atmospheres of Ice Giants, Uranus and Neptune, by studying seasonal changes during a period when Uranus is changing rapidly following its Northern Spring Equinox in 2007, and comparing its atmosphere with the dynamic, turbulent atmosphere of Uranus' sister planet, Neptune. A key part of our study is to understand the generation and evolution of convective storm clouds now regularly seen on both planets. We will improve the retrieval techniques used to interpret such data and couple these with other information, such as models of cloud condensation, to yield more self-consistent solutions. By exploring the thermal balance in these atmospheres we will look for imbalances that might reveal the details of dynamical or condensation processes. This project has overlap with Projects 3 and 4.2. Our second project builds on our world-class laboratory measurement programme to understand planetary, asteroid and comet surfaces. We will determine the ways in which visible and infrared light is both emitted and reflected by different surfaces, under conditions equivalent to those in space with extreme variations of solar heating. These data will be crucial to interpret observations made by NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, an ongoing lunar programme, and the Jovian satellite component of Project 3.3. Our third project explores the interconnections in giant planet systems and builds upon our existing participation with the NASA Cassini mission. It will help us better understand the atmospheric processes linking the interior circulation of Jupiter and Saturn with the weather layer and upper atmosphere of these planets and also to develop techniques to explore environmental conditions on Jupiter's satellites, preparing the way for future observations with NASA's JWST and ESA's JUICE mission. In particular we seek to map Jupiter's evolving atmosphere with ground-based observations in support of the NASA Juno mission to Jupiter (2016-2017). This project will use some of the same tools developed in Project 1 and interpretation of the observations will be aided by the work described in Projects 2 and 4.4. Our final project examines the atmospheric dynamics of Gas and Ice Giant planets by improving the dynamical modelling of the atmospheric circulation of the Gas Giants (Jupiter and Saturn) and also, in particular, the Ice Giants (Uranus and Neptune). This will help us better understand how the wind structure of these planets is formed and maintained and also determine the role played by clouds and convection driven by condensation of atmospheric water vapour in their climates. This work will help interpret the observations described in Projects 1 and 3.