Constraining the Effect of Convective Inhibition on the Thermal Evolution of Uranus and Neptune

Abstract The internal heat flows of both Uranus and Neptune remain major outstanding problems in planetary science. Uranus’s surprisingly cold effective temperature is inconsistent with adiabatic thermal evolution models, while Neptune’s substantial flow twice its received insolation. In this work, we constrain the magnitude influence condensation, including latent inhibition convection, can have on these bodies. We find that effect be significant, it insufficient to solve faintness problem own. Self-consistently considering effects release stable stratification, methane condensation speed up cooldown time by no more than 15%, assuming 5% molar abundance. Water works opposite direction; water slow down timescale 12% also meteorological implications convective inhibition. demonstrate sufficiently abundant condensates will relax a state radiative–convective equilibrium requiring finite activation energy disrupt. comment importance when modeling interiors.