uranus pathfinder exploring the origins and evolution of ice giant planets d. turrini, r. politi, c....

Uranus PathfinderUranus PathfinderExploring the Origins and Evolution of Ice Giant PlanetsExploring the Origins and Evolution of Ice Giant Planets

D. Turrini, R. Politi, C. Plainaki, D. Grassi, D. Turrini, R. Politi, C. Plainaki, D. Grassi, F. Tosi, G. Piccioni, G. Filacchione, A. F. Tosi, G. Piccioni, G. Filacchione, A. Milillo, P. Palumbo, P. TortoraMilillo, P. Palumbo, P. Tortora

ASI M4 Workshop – ASI Headquarters – 28/11/2014ASI M4 Workshop – ASI Headquarters – 28/11/2014

Community of Community of 257257 ( (189 in Europe189 in Europe) scientists ) scientists world-wide.world-wide.

Lead Proposer: Chris Arridge Lead Proposer: Chris Arridge [UK][UK]

UranusPathfinderWhy the Ice Giants?

• Unique record of the formation of the early Solar System

• Missing link between giant planets and super-Earths.

• Representative of one of the most abundant classes of exoplanets

Uranus and Neptune are not Gas Giants - they are Ice Giants:

• Ices (H2O, CH

4, NH

3) are

abundant in their envelopes.• Large rocky cores relative to

their gaseous envelope.

Overarching ThemesOverarching Themes Science CaseScience Case Mission ConceptsMission Concepts Italian ContributionItalian Contribution

UranusPathfinderCompleting the Exploration of Solar System

Beyond Galileo/JUICE and Cassini for the gas giants, and after New Horizons for the Kuiper Belt, ice giants are the final step to complete the exploration of the Solar System.


““......the icy giant planets remain terra incognita, and are by far the least the icy giant planets remain terra incognita, and are by far the least explored of the solar system planetsexplored of the solar system planets...” (ESA SSC Report, 2013)...” (ESA SSC Report, 2013)

UranusPathfinderUranus Pathfinder and ESA's Cosmic Vision

Theme 1:Theme 1:What are the What are the conditions for conditions for

planetary formation?planetary formation?

Theme 2:Theme 2:How does the How does the Solar System Solar System

work?work?

Theme 3:Theme 3:What are the What are the

fundamental laws fundamental laws of the Universe?of the Universe?


UranusPathfinderUranus’ Unique Atmosphere


• Voyager 2 gave Uranus atmosphere an unfair reputation!

– Upturn in storm activity since summer solstice.– Advances in imaging (i.e., methane bands).– Banded structure, equatorial waves, storm activity… – How does the meteorology of Uranus compare to the

gas giant cousins?– What is the driving energy source for convection?

• Extreme tilt subjects atmosphere to unusual forcing.

• How does the atmospheric circulation/chemistry respond to sunlight?

• Extreme cold means almost everything condenses.

• What are the dynamics of the cloud-forming region?

Hydrocarbon soup in the stratosphere

Condensable species in

troposphere

UranusPathfinderBeneath the Clouds: Uranus’ Interior

• Lower troposphere and interior hidden from view, rely on spacecraft to provide indirect constraints:

– Bulk composition.– Gravitational and magnetic fields.– Magnitude of the heat flux.– Rotation rate of interior.– Depth of zonal flows (shallow or deep)– Planetary oscillations (seismology).

• The composition, energy balance and structure of Uranus’ deep interior will reveal the origins of this ice giant

1.671.67 1.781.78 1.061.06 2.612.61

Helled et al. 2011


UranusPathfinderInternal magnetic field and magnetosphere


UranusPathfinderArchitecture of the Uranian system


UranusPathfinderESA and the Exploration of Ice Giants


““...the exploration of the icy giants appears to be a timely ...the exploration of the icy giants appears to be a timely milestone, fully appropriate for an L class mission...”milestone, fully appropriate for an L class mission...”

““The SSC considered the study of the icy giants to be a The SSC considered the study of the icy giants to be a theme of very high science quality...”theme of very high science quality...”

““In view of its importance [...] the SSC recommends that In view of its importance [...] the SSC recommends that every effort is made to pursue this theme through other every effort is made to pursue this theme through other means, such as cooperation on missions led by partner means, such as cooperation on missions led by partner

agencies”agencies”

In the words of the ESA's L2-L3 SSC Report of 2013:

UranusPathfinderMission Concepts

• Majority of science goals can be addressed by an orbiter.

• Competitive flyby/multipoint concepts under study by industrial partners (Airbus & Thales).

Mission Advantages– Polar orbits are highly favourable.– Modest planetary protection requirements.– Relatively benign radiation environments.

Key enabling technology– Nuclear power sources (MMRTG or ESA 241Am).– Limited telemetry/data rate.– Thermal control.


International collaboration between ESA and NASA for Uranus Pathfinder is under discussion.

UranusPathfinderModel payload

High TRL with substantial European flight heritage.


Instrument Consortia and relevant funding agencies Heritage

Narrow Angle CameraJHU/APL, USA [NASA]

UniParthenope/UniPD/INAF, Italy [ASI] + Spain [INTA] + UK

[UKSA]

LORRI/New HorizonsJANUS/JUICE

Visual and Near-IR Spectral Imager

INAF, Italy [ASI] + Sweden [SNSB]

MAJIS/JUICE, JIRAM/Juno VIRTIS/Rosetta, VIRTIS/VEX,

VIR/Dawn, VIMS/Cassini

Radio Science UniBO + TBD, Italy [ASI] 3GM/JUICE, MORE/BepiColombo

Thermal Infrared Bolometer Univ. Oxford, UK [UKSA] Diviner/LRO

Magnetometer Imperial College, UK [UKSA] MAG/Rosetta, MAG/Cassini

Electron/Ion Plasma Detector MSSL, UK [UKSA] + IRAP, France [CNES]

SWA/Solar Orbiter, CAPS/ELS/Cassini

Radio and Plasma Wave Experiment

LESIA, France [CNES] + IAP, Czech Rep. [MEYS]

RPW/JUICE, PWI/MMO/BepiColombo

UranusPathfinder

atmospheric science @ Uranus surface science @ satellites ring science

gravity science @ Uranus & satellites atmospheric sounding @ Uranus cruise science

atmospheric & aurora science @ Uranus surface & exospheric science @ satellites ring science

National Contribution

atmospheric science @ Uranus exospheric science @ satellites magnetospheric interactions planetary space weathering

Possible Italian contributions to the science and the payload

Mass Mass SpectrometerSpectrometer

Radio ScienceRadio Science

Narrow Angle Narrow Angle CameraCamera

Visual and near-Visual and near-IR Spectral IR Spectral

ImagerImager


UranusPathfinder

Ausiliary InstrumentAusiliary Instrument – Allows compositional characterization of the bodies and of their interaction with space environment

Core PayloadCore Payload - Essential for gravity/interior characterization; Auxiliary measurements for atmospheric science

Core PayloadCore Payload - Essential for atmospheric & satellite science

Core PayloadCore Payload - Essential for atmospheric & satellite science

Criticality of Italian Contributions

Ranking based on criticality for the mission





ImagerImager


UranusPathfinderRationale of Italian Contributions

Reflight of MAJIS/JUICE (minor updates for working conditions at Uranus)

Design based on the heritage SERENA-STROFIO/BepiColombo and on study for Europa Clipper (improved mass resolution)

Cost optimization strategy for M4 budget

Reflight of MORE/BepiColombo & 3GM/JUICE

Reflight of JANUS/JUICE (minor updates for working conditions at Uranus)





ImagerImager


UranusPathfinder

Backup Slides

UranusPathfinderCharacteristic of Individual H/W contributions

VIS/NIR Spectral Imager: Spectral imager in the 0.4-2 μm and 2-5 μm spectral ranges. IFOV 125 μrad (FOV 3.4°), spectral resolution 2.3 nm and 6.6 nm. Peak S/N > 150 for both Uranus and Umbriel. Optional extension beyond 2 μm. It will perform long-term multi-wavelength (i.e.: vertically resolved) observations of atmosphere dynamics of Uranus, compositional mapping of satellites and rings and monitoring of auroral activity.

Ka-band Transponder (KaT): Doppler (range-rate) and ranging measurements, generated in 2-way mode, with the following accuracies:• range-rate: 3m/s @ 1000s int. time;• range: 20cm

Unit heritage from MORE/Bepicolombo and 3GM/JUICE


UranusPathfinderCharacteristic of Individual H/W contributions

Ion/Neutral Mass Spectrometer:


SWRI (US) and INAF/IAPS (IT) collaboration with possible involvement of LATMOS (Fr) and UniBern (CH)

Narrow angle camera:

Visible camera of 2000 x 1540 pixels. Spectral range: 300-980 nm (10% QE threshold). Set of filters optimized for atmospheric probing (cloud tracking at different altitudes, hazes), satellite surfaces (morphology mapping) and ring studies, exosphere detections. IFOV: 15 μrad => 1.5 km spatial resolution along a 5R

U orbit.

Neptune elusive clouds at 11 km resolution

uranus pathfinder exploring the origins and evolution of ice giant planets d. turrini, r. politi, c....

Documents

uranus atmosphere

uranus pathfinder esa

uranus pathfinder architecture

meteorology of uranus

troposphere slide

solar system planets

exploration of ice giants

exploration of solar