Microwave Remote Sensing of Giant Planet Atmospheres: Considerations for Saturn and Uranus Orbiter Missions

Abstract

Microwave radiometer instruments are uniquely capable of studying volatile element abundances and heat/mass transport within the deep atmospheres of giant planets. The results of the Juno MWR experiment have challenged long-held assumptions regarding Jupiter's troposphere, and the inclusion of such an instrument on future missions to Saturn or the ice giants would similarly re-write our understanding of giant planet atmospheres. We present a high-level summary of the capabilities of microwave radiometers for the study of giant planet atmospheres, including a review of the various scientific motivations and current knowledge, concise statement of the fundamentals of radiometer remote sensing accessible at the systems-engineering level, and calculations which are of illustrative value in the design of future instruments.