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Magnetic Field Mystery Solved?

Posted by michael on from the strange-attractor dept.

OneOver137 writes "Researchers at Harvard may have solved a long-standing mystery: Why are the magnetic fields of the outer gas giants, Uranus and Neptune so unique? Further more, could these fields be used to probe the internal structure of other planets like Mercury, a notoriously difficult subject? Maybe this new technique could be used on the Messenger mission?"

4 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Journey to the center of Uranus by Atzanteol · · Score: 5, Funny

    Actually, it could make a really crappy movie too.

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  2. Further field splits with cooling? by G4from128k · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If these two outer gas giants cool further, I wonder if the convecting fluid layer will become thinner and thinner as the core freezes? If so, the magnetic field should split into more and more domains. Ultimately, the remaining thin layer will form a dense pattern of Rayleigh-Benard convection cells.

    Those small domains will be hard to detect, though. As planet moves to equilibrium and the fluid layer thins and cools, the delta-T driving the convention will weaken. Smaller cells of slower-moving fluid will mean a much weaker magnetic field. Now we only need to wait a few billion years to see if this is what will happen......

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  3. Re:Is there enough sample points? by snake_dad · · Score: 5, Informative

    Jupiter is next, AFAIK. Don't know of any missions being planned to Neptune or Uranus.

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  4. Re:Is there enough sample points? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    As long as we don't have a Voyager 6, all will be fine.