Uranus and Neptune: Shape and Rotation

Details Uranus and Neptune: Shape and Rotation Uranus and Neptune: Shape and Rotation

Sep 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.2811s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #28.11

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Both Uranus and Neptune have strong zonal winds with velocities up to a few hundred meters per second. These wind velocities, however, assume solid-body rotation periods based on Voyager 2 measurements of periodic variations in the planets' radio signals. The Voyager 2 rotation periods of Uranus and Neptune are 17h 14m 24s and16h 06m 36s, respectively. Cassini measurements of Saturn's kilometric radiation (SKR) have revealed secular variation in the SKR periodicity. Consequently, the SKR period cannot represent the planet's deep interior rotation. We must then consider the possibility that the Voyager 2 radio periodicities also do not represent the deep interior rotation of Uranus and Neptune, especially since, as we show, the planets' shapes (oblateness) are inconsistent with these periods. We use wind and shape data to investigate the rotation of Uranus and Neptune. It is shown that the figures of Uranus and Neptune are consistent with either deep differential rotation on cylinders or solid-body rotation at periods of 15h 37m 43s and 16h 51m 20s, respectively.

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