Ice Giant Atmospheric Science

TL;DR

This white paper identifies key scientific questions about Uranus and Neptune's atmospheres, emphasizing their importance for understanding planetary origins, evolution, and exoplanetary systems, guiding NASA's research priorities for 2023-2032.

Contribution

It outlines ten major questions to direct future research on Ice Giant atmospheres, highlighting their significance for planetary science and exoplanet studies.

Findings

Prioritized research questions for Ice Giant atmospheres.

Enhanced understanding of planetary formation and evolution.

Implications for exoplanetary system studies.

Abstract

This white paper, written in support of NASA's 2023-2032 Planetary Decadal Survey, outlines 10 major questions that focus on the origin, evolution, and current processes that shape the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune. Prioritizing these questions over the next decade will greatly improve our understanding of this unique class of planets, which have remained largely unexplored since the Voyager flybys. Studying the atmospheres of the Ice Giants will greatly inform our understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system as a whole, in addition to the growing number of exoplanetary systems that contain Neptune-mass planets.