Title: The Uranus System as a Living Fossil of Planet Formation

Abstract: A few months ago, the Decadal Survey recommended a Uranus orbiter and probe as the highest-priority NASA flagship mission in the next ten years. In this talk, I will present a short overview of previous research on the ice giants Uranus and Neptune, and the clues those systems have already yielded about planet formation, protoplanetary disk processes, atmospheric circulation processes, and exoplanets. I will then focus on two of my own research projects using ALMA and VLA observations. First, I will combine data across the VLA and ALMA spectral range to constrain the bulk composition and circulation of Uranus's atmosphere at pressures from 1-50 bar. Second, I'll present the first observations of thermal emission from the Uranian ring system, and show how those data were used to constrain the rotation rate and thermal inertia of the ring particles. The successes and limitations of these observations will provide context for the scientific gains promised by a dedicated orbiter and probe. Bio: Ned is just starting a two-year postdoc at Berkeley. He grew up in Wisconsin, and did his undergrad at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He started his PhD, which was also at Berkeley, in planetary science, then took a detour to work on climate change research on Earth, but is now returning to outer solar system research. Outside work, Ned enjoys rock climbing and playing soccer.