HST observations of Triton: Evidence of a changing surface.

Details HST observations of Triton: Evidence of a changing surface. HST observations of Triton: Evidence of a changing surface.

May 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agusm.p33a..01b&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #P33A-01

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6260 Neptunian Satellites

Scientific paper

Triton is one of the few bodies in the solar system with observed cryo-volcanic activity, in the form of plumes (Soderblom et al. 1990). Prompted by evidence from previous observations at ground and space-based telescopes of possible seasonal surface changes on Triton (Herbert et al. 2004 and Young & Stern 1999), we proposed to confirm and characterize these changes using the HST ACS instrument to image Triton at UV,B,V,I and Methane-band wavelengths over as much of its surface as visible from near Earth. With Triton's angular diameter of nearly 0.13 arcsec in size, ACS's HRC mode afforded an approximately 5X5 pixel image of Triton's surface. With HST's resolution, four regions could be resolved at a time, and particular surface features were restricted to a certain quadrant of Triton's surface. Our request for 6 observing longitudes has allowed us to resolve the longitude of surface features to within 60 degrees. Preliminary analysis indicates a rotation light curve amplitude in excess of that predicted by static models (Hillier et al. 1994 & Hillier 1999). We will attempt to determine the resurfacing rates and set model constraints on activity and surface temperature as well as composition. Such constraints have profound implications for our understanding of Triton's evolution as well as the history of other outer solar system bodies, including outer solar system satellites that may undergo similar geophysical processes or have similar composition. Herbert, B.D., Buratti, B., Schmidt, B., & Bauer, J. 2003, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, 443. Hillier, J.K. 1999, Icarus, 139, 202. Hillier, J., Veverka, J., Helfenstein, P., & Lee, P. 1994, Icarus, 109, 296. Soderblom, L.A., Becker, T.L., Kieffer, S.W., Brown, R.H., Hansen, C.J., & Johnson, T.V. 1990, Science, 250, 410. Young, L.A., & Stern, A.S., AJ, 122, 449.

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