NEW DELHI: A recent research hinted at significant presence of methane ice within Uranus and Neptune which have long been regarded as icy giants, presumed to be predominantly composed of frozen water.
According to Space.com, the implications of this discovery extend beyond mere composition, potentially unlocking the mysteries surrounding the formation of Uranus and Neptune.
Voyager 2’s solitary flyby in the 1980s provided a glimpse into Uranus and Neptune, leaving scientists with only speculative notions of their makeup, including substantial amounts of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen.
Astronomers have constructed models based on data from Voyager 2 and terrestrial telescopes to delve deeper into the composition of these distant giants. These models typically posit a thin envelope of hydrogen and helium, a dense layer of superionic water and ammonia, and a rocky core, earning the planets their “ice giant” designation. However, they also suggest the possibility of vast reservoirs of water, potentially exceeding Earth’s oceans by tens of thousands of times.
The latest study challenges these conventional models by considering the formation process of Uranus and Neptune. As these planets coalesced from the primordial solar nebula, they accumulated planetesimals, reminiscent of contemporary comets from the Kuiper Belt. Unlike the presumed water-rich composition of the ice giants, these planetesimals are carbon-rich.
Addressing this puzzle, Uri Malamud, lead author of the study and a planetary scientist at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and his collaborators generated hundreds of thousands of interior models for Uranus and Neptune. Their algorithm sought to match observed traits like radius and mass, incorporating various substances including iron, water, and methane, the primary component of natural gas.
Among these models, those featuring methane emerged as viable candidates, with the methane layer potentially accounting for up to 10% of the planet’s mass. This methane layer, situated between the hydrogen-helium envelope and the water layer, could provide a resolution to the enigmatic origins of these distant giants.
The research, published on the preprint server arXiv, suggests that methane ice may have formed during the planets’ tumultuous formation, as hydrogen reacted with carbon in the accreted planetesimals. These reactions occurred under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure, mirroring the conditions believed to prevail during the planets’ early development.
While confirming the presence of methane is challenging, future missions proposed by Nasa and other space agencies may provide the means to verify these discoveries.
According to Space.com, the implications of this discovery extend beyond mere composition, potentially unlocking the mysteries surrounding the formation of Uranus and Neptune.
Voyager 2’s solitary flyby in the 1980s provided a glimpse into Uranus and Neptune, leaving scientists with only speculative notions of their makeup, including substantial amounts of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen.
Astronomers have constructed models based on data from Voyager 2 and terrestrial telescopes to delve deeper into the composition of these distant giants. These models typically posit a thin envelope of hydrogen and helium, a dense layer of superionic water and ammonia, and a rocky core, earning the planets their “ice giant” designation. However, they also suggest the possibility of vast reservoirs of water, potentially exceeding Earth’s oceans by tens of thousands of times.
The latest study challenges these conventional models by considering the formation process of Uranus and Neptune. As these planets coalesced from the primordial solar nebula, they accumulated planetesimals, reminiscent of contemporary comets from the Kuiper Belt. Unlike the presumed water-rich composition of the ice giants, these planetesimals are carbon-rich.
Addressing this puzzle, Uri Malamud, lead author of the study and a planetary scientist at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and his collaborators generated hundreds of thousands of interior models for Uranus and Neptune. Their algorithm sought to match observed traits like radius and mass, incorporating various substances including iron, water, and methane, the primary component of natural gas.
Among these models, those featuring methane emerged as viable candidates, with the methane layer potentially accounting for up to 10% of the planet’s mass. This methane layer, situated between the hydrogen-helium envelope and the water layer, could provide a resolution to the enigmatic origins of these distant giants.
The research, published on the preprint server arXiv, suggests that methane ice may have formed during the planets’ tumultuous formation, as hydrogen reacted with carbon in the accreted planetesimals. These reactions occurred under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure, mirroring the conditions believed to prevail during the planets’ early development.
While confirming the presence of methane is challenging, future missions proposed by Nasa and other space agencies may provide the means to verify these discoveries.