Solar System Planetary Science at Oxford 2016-2019

行星物理学中的这一提议的范围从研究巨行星的大气层到研究小行星等无空气天体的反射和热性质，这是研究这些天体的主要方法。该方案概述了一项协调努力，以：1)测量和了解太阳系内外巨大行星大气中的流体循环、云凝结和光化学；2)测量和解释无空气行星的光谱，以更好地了解它们的来源、组成和土壤结构。我们有四个相辅相成的主要项目。第一个项目探索冰巨星天王星和海王星的动态大气，通过研究天王星在2007年春分后快速变化期间的季节变化，并将其大气与天王星的姊妹行星海王星动态、湍流的大气进行比较。我们研究的一个关键部分是了解目前在这两个星球上经常出现的对流风暴云的产生和演变。我们将改进用于解释这些数据的检索技术，并将这些信息与其他信息(如云凝结模型)结合起来，以产生更自洽的解决方案。通过探索这些大气中的热平衡，我们将寻找可能揭示动力或凝结过程细节的不平衡。这个项目与项目3和4.2有重叠。我们的第二个项目建立在我们世界级实验室测量计划的基础上，以了解行星、小行星和彗星表面。我们将确定可见光和红外光在不同表面发射和反射的方式，条件与太阳加热极端变化的空间相同。这些数据将对解释NASA的OSIRIS-REX小行星样本返回任务、正在进行的月球计划和3.3项目的木星卫星部分所做的观测至关重要。我们的第三个项目探索巨型行星系统中的相互联系，并建立在我们现有参与NASA卡西尼号任务的基础上。它将帮助我们更好地了解将木星和土星的内部环流与这些行星的气象层和高层大气联系起来的大气过程，还将开发探索木星卫星上的环境条件的技术，为未来与NASA的JWST和ESA的CUST任务进行观测铺平道路。特别是，我们试图用地面观测绘制木星大气演变图，以支持NASA朱诺木星任务(2016-2017)。该项目将使用项目1中开发的一些工具，对观察结果的解释将得到项目2和4.4中所述工作的帮助。我们的最后一个项目通过改进气体巨星(木星和土星)，特别是冰巨星(天王星和海王星)的大气循环的动力学模型，研究了气态和冰态巨行星的大气动力学。这将有助于我们更好地了解这些行星的风结构是如何形成和维持的，并确定云和大气水蒸气凝结驱动的对流在其气候中所起的作用。这项工作将有助于解释项目1和3中描述的观察结果。

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.