Uranus is arguably the most mysterious planet in the solar system we know very little about it.
So far, we have only visited the planet once, with theVoyager 2spacecraft back in 1986.
The most obvious odd thing about this ice giant is the fact that it is spinning on its side.
So in its summer, the north pole points almost directly towards the sun.
Our new research, published in theAstrophysical Journalandpresented at a meetingof the American Geophysical Union, offers a clue.
Most researchers believe that Uranus spinis the consequence of a dramatic collision.
We set out to uncover how it could have happened.
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Instead, we ran computer models simulating the events using a powerful supercomputer as the next best thing.
This way we can study even the fantastically complicated and messy results of a giant impact.
Another benefit of using computer simulations is that we have full control.
We can test a wide variety of different impact scenarios and explore the range of possible outcomes.
This could inhibit the mixing of material inside Uranus, trapping the heat from its formation deep inside.
Excitingly, this idea seems to fit with the observation that Uranus exterior is so cold today.
Super computations
The research is also exciting from a computational perspective.
Our latest simulations use over 100m particles, about 100-1,000 timesmore than mostother studies today use.
This improvement is thanks toSWIFT, a new simulation code we designed to take full advantage ofcontemporary supercomputers.
These are basically lots of normal computers linked up together.
So, running a big simulation quickly relies on dividing up the calculations between all parts of the supercomputer.
Uranus seen by Voyager 2.
The lack of an atmosphere makes a planet a lot less likely to host life.
Rocky material from the impacting bodys core can also get mixed into the outer atmosphere.
Lots of questions remain about Uranus, and giant impacts in general.
Even though our simulations are getting more detailed, we still have lots to learn.
I would very much like to see that happen.
