Pluto's Spectrum from 1.0 to 4.2 μm: Implications for Surface Properties

Details Pluto's Spectrum from 1.0 to 4.2 μm: Implications for Surface Properties Pluto's Spectrum from 1.0 to 4.2 μm: Implications for Surface Properties

Feb 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aj....133..420o&link_type=abstract

The Astronomical Journal, Volume 133, Issue 2, pp. 420-431.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

19

Planets And Satellites: Individual: Pluto

Scientific paper

We present spectra of Pluto's anti-Charon hemisphere obtained from the Keck and Subaru telescopes from 2.8 to 4.2 μm. Combined with 1-2.5 μm spectra from the Infrared Telescope Facility, this collective data set lets us constrain several surface frost properties. The surface area of pure nitrogen frost (as opposed to nitrogen with dissolved methane) is constrained to be 6% or less. The areal fractions of pure methane and methane dissolved in nitrogen are almost equal. The grain size of pure methane is constrained to be near 200 μm. An additional surface component with spectral properties similar to Titan tholin was necessary to fit the entire 1-4.2 μm spectrum; our best-fit model requires 21% of Pluto's anti-Charon hemisphere (by area) to be this Titan tholin component. Contrary to Sasaki et al.'s spectra of Pluto's sub-Charon hemisphere, we find no evidence for other hydrocarbons on this face of Pluto from data in the 3-3.3 μm region. We were not able to constrain the temperature of pure methane.
Based in part on data obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.
Based in part on data collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

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