Methane and Nitrogen Abundances on Eris and Pluto

Details Methane and Nitrogen Abundances on Eris and Pluto Methane and Nitrogen Abundances on Eris and Pluto

Oct 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010dps....42.2006t&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #20.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.984

Physics

Geophysics

Scientific paper

We present spectra of Eris from the MMT 6.5 meter telescope and Red Channel Spectrograph (5700 - 9800 angstroms; 5 angstroms per pixel) on Mt. Hopkins, AZ, and Pluto from the Steward Observatory 2.3 meter telescope and Boller and Chivens spectrograph (7100 - 9400 angstroms; 2 angstroms per pixel) on Kitt Peak, AZ. In addition, we present laboratory transmission spectra of methane-nitrogen and methane-argon ice mixtures. By anchoring our analysis with the methane-nitrogen phase diagram of Prokhvatilov and Yantsevich (1983), and comparing methane bands in our Eris spectrum and methane bands in our laboratory spectra, we are able to make a quantitative estimate of Eris' methane and nitrogen abundances. Our analysis suggests the surface ice consists of about 10% methane and about 90% nitrogen. By using the same analysis techniques on our Pluto spectrum, we find the anti-Charon facing hemisphere of Pluto has a methane abundance of about 3% and a nitrogen abundance of about 97%. Such abundances are consistent with values reported in the literature. It appears that the bulk volatile composition of Eris is similar to the bulk volatile composition of Pluto. Both objects appear to be dominated by nitrogen ice. Our analysis also suggests, unlike previous work reported in the literature, that the methane and nitrogen stoichiometry is constant with depth into the surface of Eris. Finally, we point out that our Eris spectrum is also consistent with an ice consisting of 40% methane and 60% argon. So, until someone detects an absorption attributable to nitrogen ice in the spectrum of Eris, it would be prudent to keep an open mind about the identity of ice components on Eris. We gratefully acknowledge support from NASA Planetary Astronomy and NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics. We thank Steward Observatory for the consistent allocation of telescope time.

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