Collaborative Research: Visible Reflectivity of Jupiter and Saturn. Implications for Giant Planets Thermal Evolution

Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets in the solar system and they are both thought to generate significant heat internally. To measure the difference between heat absorbed from the sun and heat generated internally, it is important to determine how much heat is reflected by the clouds in the atmospheres of these planets. This project will use data gathered from spacecraft to measure the reflectivity of clouds in Saturn and develop a model for Saturn including the rings and the shadows of the rings. The project will incorporate undergraduate students in all aspects of this research.

This project will use raw image data from the Planetary Data System to derive 1-3 micrometer flux from Cassini data. With this data, they will determine cloud scattering properties for Saturn and upgrade their 3D Saturn model to include the new cloud scattering properties. The project would also validate the model with data and existing models for Jupiter provided by the collaborating institution, the University of Houston.

The project will also work on porting the 3D Saturn model from IDL to Python and make it publicly available on GitHub. The project will also create a summer undergraduate research program at the University of La Verne. Results of the research will be incorporated in several of the undergraduate courses at the University of La Verne.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.