Argon on Uranus and Neptune may reveal more about their origins than their interiors

Measurements of an argon isotope could help scientists understand whether the interiors of Uranus and Neptune, our solar system's so-called ice giants, are dominated by ice or rock. New research led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and published in The Planetary Science Journal measured the planets' atmospheric argon-40 to estimate the amount of rock found beneath their surfaces and search for clues about the planets' origins, including where and how they formed.