The absence of well-defined north and south magnetic poles in Uranus and Neptune may be explained by the presence of immiscible ice layers in their interiors.
Simulations performed at the University of California, Berkeley suggest that the disorganized magnetic fields of these ice giant planets arise from the separation of icy fluids within them.
Laboratory experiments of fluids at high pressures and a proposed mission to Uranus in the 2040s could help test this theory.
Understanding the structure and evolution of Uranus and Neptune could provide insights into ice giants found in exoplanetary systems as well.