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- P41F-2678: The bimodal extension of Jupiter’s dilute core
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Board 2678‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
Author(s):Generic 'disconnected' Message
Benjamin Idini, University of California Santa Cruz (First Author, Presenting Author)
NASA spacecraft have revealed something surprising about Jupiter and Saturn. Instead of having solid cores as scientists once thought, these gas giants appear to have 'dilute cores' - where metals gradually mix into the surrounding hydrogen and helium gas, becoming less concentrated as you move outward from the center. This discovery challenges previous ideas about how planets mix materials internally and how they form in the first place. My research creates simple models to help understand what Jupiter's core actually looks like, based on data from NASA's Juno mission. A key challenge is our limited understanding of how hydrogen and helium behave under extreme pressure - particularly during the transition where hydrogen changes from a molecular gas to a metallic state. The models I have developed account for these uncertainties while ensuring they still match what we observe about Jupiter's gravity and energy. By approaching the problem this way, we can better understand how far Jupiter's dilute core extends. Improving our knowledge of hydrogen-helium physics through laboratory experiments and computer simulations would help solve major questions about how planets like Jupiter form. Better understanding Jupiter's core structure is a crucial piece of this planetary puzzle.
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