The Atmospheric Structure of the Ice Giant Planets from In Situ Measurements by Entry Probes
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The Atmospheric Structure of the Ice Giant Planets from In Situ Measurements by Entry Probes Francesca Ferri1 · Giacomo Colombatti1 · Alessio Aboudan1 · Carlo Bettanini1 · Stefano Debei1 · Ari Matti Harri2 · Jean Pierre Lebreton3 · Franck Montmessin4 · Jean Jacques Berthelier4 · Alice LeGall4 · Ronan Modolo4 · Karen Aplin5 · Athena Coustenis6
Received: 3 February 2020 / Accepted: 5 October 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract In situ measurements by an atmospheric entry probe allow for sounding and investigating atmospheric composition, structure and dynamics deep into the atmosphere of a Giant planet. In this paper, we describe an Atmospheric Structure Instrument (ASI) for an entry probe at Uranus and/or Neptune. The scientific objectives, the measurements and the expected results are discussed in the framework of a future opportunity for an NASA-ESA joint mission to the Ice Giant planets. Keywords Uranus · Neptune · Ice Giant planets · Atmosphere · Atmospheric thermal structure · Dynamics · Electricity · Measurements · Sensors
1 Introduction The NASA space mission Voyager 2, launched in 1977, probed, through remote sensing techniques, the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune, the two Ice Giant planets of our Solar System, during its flybys in 1986 and 1989 respectively. The atmospheric temperature profiles were primarily retrieved from the Voyager radio occultations (Lindal et al. 1987, 1990); while both ground-based and Voyager thermal infrared, solar and stellar occultation observations further constrained the atmospheric thermal structure (e.g. Marley and McKay 1999). These temperature profiles are strongly dependent In Situ Exploration of the Ice Giants: Science and Technology Edited by Olivier J. Mousis and David H. Atkinson
B F. Ferri 1
CISAS “Giuseppe Colombo”, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
2
Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Helsinki, Finland
3
LPCE2, Orleans, France
4
LATMOS, Guyancourt, France
5
University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
6
LESIA, Paris Observatory, PSL, CNRS, Univ. de Paris, Sorbonne Univ., Paris, France
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on the assumed composition and mixing ratios and therefore are affected by large uncertainties. An entry probe offers a unique opportunity for in situ sounding of the atmospheres of the Ice Giants (Mousis et al. 2018) down to levels not reachable by remote sensing and with a vertical resolution not achievable by other means. In situ measurements provide ground truth for investigation of the atmospheric composition, structure and dynamics deep into the atmosphere (e.g. Galileo probe at Jupiter (Seiff et al. 1996) and Huygens probe at Titan (Lebreton et al. 2005)). The exploration of Uranus and Neptune systems is considered of major interest for the scientific community both in Europe (through an ESA solicitation in the framework of the Cosmic Vision Program) and in the US (through NASA’s Planetary Science Decadals). Ongoing studies of a future opportunity favour a potential NASA-ESA joint mission to Uranus and/or Nept
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