“The ice huge category is oversimplified as Uranus and Neptune are still improperly comprehended,” stated Luca Morf, a Ph.D. trainee at the University of Zurich.

“Models based upon physics were too assumption-heavy, while empirical designs are too simple.”

“We integrated both approaches to get interior designs that are both ‘agnostic’ or impartial and yet, are physically constant.”

In their research study, the scientists began with a random density profile for the planetary interior.

They computed the planetary gravitational field that is constant with observational information and presumed a possible structure.

They duplicated the procedure to get the finest possible match in between the designs and the observational information.

With their brand-new agnostic, and yet completely physical design, the researchers discovered the possible internal structure of the ice giants of our Solar System, is not restricted at all to just ice.

“It is something that we initially recommended almost 15 years earlier, and now we have the mathematical structure to show it,” stated University of Zurich’s Professor Ravit Helled.

“The brand-new series of internal structure reveals that both worlds can either be water-rich or rock-rich.”

The research study likewise brings brand-new viewpoints on Uranus’ and Neptune’s perplexing electromagnetic fields.

While the Earth has clear North and South magnetic poles, the electromagnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune are more complicated having more than 2 poles.

“Our designs have so-called ‘ionic water’ layers which produce magnetic eager beavers in places that describe the observed non-dipolar electromagnetic fields,” Professor Helled stated.

“We likewise discovered that Uranus’ electromagnetic field comes from much deeper than Neptune’s.”

While the outcomes are appealing, some incertitude stays.

“One of the primary concerns is that physicists still hardly comprehend how products act under the unique conditions of pressure and temperature level discovered at the heart of a world, this might affect our outcomes,” Morf stated.

Despites the unpredictabilities, the brand-new outcomes likewise lead the way for brand-new prospective interior structure circumstance and obstacle decade-old presumptions and guide future product science research study at planetary conditions.

“Both Uranus and Neptune might be rock giants or ice giants depending upon the design presumptions,” Professor Helled stated.

“Current information are presently inadequate to differentiate the 2, and we for that reason require devoted objectives to Uranus and Neptune that can expose their real nature.”

A paper explaining this research study was released today in the journal Astronomy & & Astrophysics

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Luca Morf & & Ravit Helled. 2025. Icy or rocky? Convective or steady? New interior designs of Uranus and Neptune. A&A 704, A183; doi: 10.1051/ 0004-6361/2025 56911