INTERIOR MODELS OF URANUS AND NEPTUNE

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/726/1/15· OSTI ID:21567741

Helled, Ravit; Schubert, Gerald ^[1]; Anderson, John D ^[2]; Podolak, Morris ^[3]

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1. Department of Earth and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 900951567 (United States)
2. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)
3. Department. of Geophysics and Planetary Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv (Israel)

'Empirical' models (pressure versus density) of Uranus and Neptune interiors constrained by the gravitational coefficients J{sub 2}, J{sub 4}, the planetary radii and masses, and Voyager solid-body rotation periods are presented. The empirical pressure-density profiles are then interpreted in terms of physical equations of state of hydrogen, helium, ice (H{sub 2}O), and rock (SiO{sub 2}) to test the physical plausibility of the models. The compositions of Uranus and Neptune are found to be similar with somewhat different distributions of the high-Z material. The big difference between the two planets is that Neptune requires a non-solar envelope, while Uranus is best matched with a solar composition envelope. Our analysis suggests that the heavier elements in both Uranus' and Neptune's interior might increase gradually toward the planetary centers. Indeed it is possible to fit the gravitational moments without sharp compositional transitions.

• OSTI ID: 21567741
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 726, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/726/1/15; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DENSITY
EQUATIONS OF STATE
HELIUM
HYDROGEN
ICE
NEPTUNE PLANET
SILICON OXIDES
URANUS PLANET
WATER
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTS
EQUATIONS
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
RARE GASES
SILICON COMPOUNDS