Summary: CLOUDS OF NEPTUNE AND URANUS
Sushil K. Atreya and Ah-San Wong
Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143, USA,
Email: atreya@umich.edu, aswong@umich.edu
Proceedings, International Planetary Probe Workshop, NASA Ames, 2004, NASA CP-2004-213456, 2004.
ABSTRACT
We present results on the bases and concentrations of
methane ice, ammonia ice, ammonium hydrosulfide-
solid, water ice, and aqueous-ammonia solution
("droplet") clouds of Neptune and Uranus, based on an
equilibrium cloud condensation model. Due to their
similar p-T structures, the model results for Neptune
and Uranus are similar. Assuming 30­50× solar
enhancement for the condensibles species, as expected
from formation models, we find that the base of the
droplet cloud is at the 370 bars for 30× solar, and at 500
bars for 50× solar cases. Despite this, entry probes need
to be deployed to only 50­100 bars to obtain all the
critical information needed to constrain models of the
formation of these planets and their atmospheres.

Source: Atreya, Sushil - Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science, University of Michigan

Collections: Physics