Planetary Science Seminar spring-2015

On July 5 , 2016 after a five year cruise, JUNO will be inserted into orbit around Jupiter. Jupiter is by far the largest planet in our solar system and has remained virtually unchanged since it first formed. Consequently, Jupiter contains important clues to how the solar system formed. The primary science objective of this second NASA "New Frontiers” mission is to measure the Oxygen (Water) abundance in the deep atmosphere, to determine whether Jupiter has a substantial core composed of heavy elements, and to understand the dynamo process which generates Jupiters’s internal magnetic field. To accomplish these objectives JUNO will be placed into a polar orbit, which minimizes radiation exposure and allows, us over 30 science orbits, to make precise measurements of the internal gravity and magnetic field, and the composition of the deep atmosphere. These science orbits pass through the auroral flux tubes and as a secondary science objective we will explore the process responsible for the Jovian aurora. This talk will describe the basic measurements taken on JUNO and describe how these can be used to better understand the process that occurred during the formation of the solar system.