[P-PS01] Outer Solar System Exploration Today, and Tomorrow

[PPS01-14] Developing a next generation community modeling framework for the upper atmosphere of Uranus, using the Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (GITM).

*Jared Bell¹, Kunio M. Sayanagi² (1.NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 2.NASA Langley Research Center)

Keywords:Uranus, Thermosphere, Modeling, Ionosphere

Our primary motivation for this study is to provide the early version of a community framework that could be utilized both for future Flagship mission planning to the Uranus system and follow-on science analysis further into the future. We present initial results from the Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (GITM) specially modified for simulating the upper atmosphere of giant planets (GP-GITM). Our goal is to investigate possible seasonal variations in the upper atmosphere driven by calculated solar EUV/UV, simulated photoelectron heating, specified heating due to posited gravity wave and the magnetosphere. Our simulations will cover the mesosphere-thermosphere-ionosphere regions during the two solstice conditions and the two equinox conditions. Our presentation will focus on the potential impacts of including (or ignoring) theoretically posited gravity wave heating rates and magnetospheric heating rates on the global dynamics, energetics, and composition of the upper and middle atmosphere. the possible role of low latitude heating mechanisms (or lack thereof) on the simulated dynamics, energetics, and chemical composition of this Giant Planet.