Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jul 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009hst..prop12436s&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #12436. Cycle 18
Computer Science
Scientific paper
With the discoveries of Hydra and Nix, dwarf planet Pluto centers a more extensive satellite system than any terrestrial planet. Small moons are usually accompanied by rings of faint dust, which arise from impacts into their surfaces. Such rings show interesting dynamics including the influence of non-gravitational forces such as radiation pressure and Poynting-Robertson drag. A previous search for rings of Pluto in HST images was negative, but was limited by the scattered light from Pluto and Charon. Our more optimized plan will enable us to model and subtract out the scattered light pattern, yielding a detection threshold 10-30 times fainter than the prior limit. If Pluto sports a ring comparable to the major dust rings of the giant planets, our observing plan should detect it. This work supports the New Horizons mission by potentially revealing a dust hazard that might endanger the spacecraft during its 2015 flyby. It could also enhance the science return by allowing planners to target a known feature rather than conducting a more resource-intensive general search for rings. We request Director's Discretionary time because the Pluto observing sequence will be finalized in 2011; thus the observing window in June represents our last chance to obtain results that could influence the mission.;
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