Title:  New Understandings of Solar-System Gaseous Planets in the Era of Juno and Cassini Missions

Speaker: Dali Kong 孔大力

Institute: Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Host: Siyi Feng

Time: 14:30-16:00, Thursday, September, 23

Location: Physics Building 552 (online)

Abstract:

Dr. Dali Kong obtained his BSc degree from Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University in 2008. He then spent time in University of Exeter, UK and earned the PhD degree in Applied Mathematics in 2012. After that, Dr. Kong carried on with his research fellowship in the Centre for Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics, University of Exeter. In 2017, Dr. Kong started the new post as a research professor in Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. By September 2021, Dr. Kong has authored 49 peer-reviewed publications. He was awarded the 2016 Royal Astronomical Society Winton Capital Award for his contribution to studies of gaseous planets.

Bio:

Gas giant planets are a large planetary family. Formed in gas-rich protoplanetary disks, they bear lots of similarities to late-type, convective dwarf stars. However, because of their complicated molecular compositions, unique thermal conditions and fast spinning, gaseous planets have remarkably rich external and internal features, which are connected to a series of fundamental planetary physics puzzles such as zonal circulation, hydrogen-helium phase separation, inner-core erosion and dynamo processes etc. In our Solar system, there are two typical gaseous giant planets, namely, Jupiter and Saturn, which have already been closely explored by spacecrafts. Juno and Cassini missions are the two recent explorations to Jupiter and Saturn respectively. Their observations of the planetary magnetosphere, atmosphere, gravitational field, magnetic field, deep interior and moons have been unprecedentedly precise and detailed. With the latest observational data, our knowledge of gaseous giant planets has been dramatically updated. But meanwhile, several fundamental puzzles remain highly disputed. The fast-broadening horizon of the subject is calling for smart scientific ideas and advanced future-exploration technologies. In this talk, the latest developments of relevant researches are reviewed.

Ref:

Liu et al. 2020, A&A, 644A, 48L(https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2020/12/aa38906-20/aa38906-20.html)

2020 Li et al ApJ_vol 897_pp 85.pdf

2018 Kong et al PNAS_Vol 115_pp 8499.pdf

2016_Kong et al_ScientificReport_Vol 6_pp 23497.pdf