Characterizing the Structure of Giant Planets

Advances in understanding the structure of giant planets are happening quickly on multiple fronts. New first-principles equations of state calculations and cutting edge experiments for hydrogen, helium, water, and other planetary materials, are dramatically changing our view of the interior structure and thermal evolution of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The field of transiting exoplanets has led to the addition of over 200 giant planets that can be studied is some detail, as their masses, radii, and bulk densities can be measured. This opens up the possibility of comparing and contrasting our own giant planets to these exoplanets, to better understand giant plants as a class of astrophysical object. ((c) 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)