The atmosphere of Pluto as observed by New Horizons

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ID: 267983
2016
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Abstract
Observations made during the New Horizons flyby provide a detailed snapshot of the current state of Pluto’s atmosphere. Whereas the lower atmosphere (at altitudes of less than 200 kilometers) is consistent with ground-based stellar occultations, the upper atmosphere is much colder and more compact than indicated by pre-encounter models. Molecular nitrogen (N2) dominates the atmosphere (at altitudes of less than 1800 kilometers or so), whereas methane (CH4), acetylene (C2H2), ethylene (C2H4), and ethane (C2H6) are abundant minor species and likely feed the production of an extensive haze that encompasses Pluto. The cold upper atmosphere shuts off the anticipated enhanced-Jeans, hydrodynamic-like escape of Pluto’s atmosphere to space. It is unclear whether the current state of Pluto’s atmosphere is representative of its average state—over seasonal or geologic time scales.
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Authors G. Randall Gladstone,S. Alan Stern,Kimberly Ennico,Catherine Olkin,Harold A. Weaver,Leslie A. Young,Michael E. Summers,Darrell F. Strobel,David P. Hinson,Joshua A. Kammer,Alex H. Parker,Andrew J. Steffl,Ivan R. Linscott,Joel Parker,Andrew F. Cheng,David C. Slater,Maarten H. Versteeg,Thomas K. Greathouse,Kurt Retherford,Henry Throop,Nathaniel J. Cunningham,William W. Woods,Kelsi N. Singer,Constantine C. C. Tsang,Eric Schindhelm,Carey Lisse,Michael L. Wong,Yuk L. Yung,Xun Zhu,Werner Curdt,Panayotis Lavvas,Eliot F. Young,G. Leonard Tyler,F. Bagenal,W. M. Grundy,W. B. McKinnon,J. M. Moore,J. R. Spencer,T. Andert,J. Andrews,M. Banks,B. Bauer,J. Bauman,O. S. Barnouin,P. Bedini,K. Beisser,R. A. Beyer,S. Bhaskaran,R. P. Binzel,E. Birath,M. Bird,D. J. Bogan,A. Bowman,V. J. Bray,M. Brozovic,C. Bryan,M. R. Buckley,M. W. Buie,B. J. Buratti,S. S. Bushman,A. Calloway,B. Carcich,S. Conard,C. A. Conrad,J. C. Cook,D. P. Cruikshank,O. S. Custodio,C. M. D. Ore,C. DeBoy,Z. J. B. Dischner,P. Dumont,A. M. Earle,H. A. Elliott,J. Ercol,Carolyn Ernst,T. Finley,S. H. Flanigan,G. Fountain,M. J. Freeze,J. L. Green,Y. Guo,M. Hahn,D. P. Hamilton,S. A. Hamilton,J. Hanley,A. Harch,H. M. Hart,C. B. Hersman,A. Hill,M. E. Hill,M. E. Holdridge,M. Horanyi,A. D. Howard,C. J. A. Howett,C. Jackman,R. A. Jacobson,D. E. Jennings,H. K. Kang,D. E. Kaufmann,Peter Kollmann,S. M. Krimigis,D. Kusnierkiewicz,Tod Lauer,J. E. Lee,K. L. Lindstrom,A. W. Lunsford,V. A. Mallder,N. Martin,D. J. McComas,R. L. McNutt,D. Mehoke,T. Mehoke,E. D. Melin,Maximilian Mutchler,D. Nelson,F. Nimmo,J. I. Nunez,A. Ocampo,W. M. Owen,M. Paetzold,B. Page,F. Pelletier,J. Peterson,N. Pinkine,M. Piquette,S. B. Porter,S. Protopapa,J. Redfern,H. J. Reitsema,D. C. Reuter,J. H. Roberts,S. J. Robbins,G. Rogers,D. Rose,K. Runyon,M. G. Ryschkewitsch,P. Schenk,B. Sepan,M. R. Showalter,M. Soluri,D. Stanbridge,T. Stryk,J. R. Szalay,M. Tapley,A. Taylor,H. Taylor,O. M. Umurhan,A. J. Verbiscer,M. Vincent,R. Webbert,S. Weidner,G. E. Weigle,O. L. White,K. Whittenburg,B. G. Williams,K. Williams,A. M. Zangari,E. Zirnstein,the New Horizons Science Team;G. Randall Gladstone;S. Alan Stern;Kimberly Ennico;Catherine Olkin;Harold A. Weaver;Leslie A. Young;Michael E. Summers;Darrell F. Strobel;David P. Hinson;Joshua A. Kammer;Alex H. Parker;Andrew J. Steffl;Ivan R. Linscott;Joel Parker;Andrew F. Cheng;David C. Slater;Maarten H. Versteeg;Thomas K. Greathouse;Kurt Retherford;Henry Throop;Nathaniel J. Cunningham;William W. Woods;Kelsi N. Singer;Constantine C. C. Tsang;Eric Schindhelm;Carey Lisse;Michael L. Wong;Yuk L. Yung;Xun Zhu;Werner Curdt;Panayotis Lavvas;Eliot F. Young;G. Leonard Tyler;F. Bagenal;W. M. Grundy;W. B. McKinnon;J. M. Moore;J. R. Spencer;T. Andert;J. Andrews;M. Banks;B. Bauer;J. Bauman;O. S. Barnouin;P. Bedini;K. Beisser;R. A. Beyer;S. Bhaskaran;R. P. Binzel;E. Birath;M. Bird;D. J. Bogan;A. Bowman;V. J. Bray;M. Brozovic;C. Bryan;M. R. Buckley;M. W. Buie;B. J. Buratti;S. S. Bushman;A. Calloway;B. Carcich;S. Conard;C. A. Conrad;J. C. Cook;D. P. Cruikshank;O. S. Custodio;C. M. D. Ore;C. DeBoy;Z. J. B. Dischner;P. Dumont;A. M. Earle;H. A. Elliott;J. Ercol;Carolyn Ernst;T. Finley;S. H. Flanigan;G. Fountain;M. J. Freeze;J. L. Green;Y. Guo;M. Hahn;D. P. Hamilton;S. A. Hamilton;J. Hanley;A. Harch;H. M. Hart;C. B. Hersman;A. Hill;M. E. Hill;M. E. Holdridge;M. Horanyi;A. D. Howard;C. J. A. Howett;C. Jackman;R. A. Jacobson;D. E. Jennings;H. K. Kang;D. E. Kaufmann;Peter Kollmann;S. M. Krimigis;D. Kusnierkiewicz;Tod Lauer;J. E. Lee;K. L. Lindstrom;A. W. Lunsford;V. A. Mallder;N. Martin;D. J. McComas;R. L. McNutt;D. Mehoke;T. Mehoke;E. D. Melin;Maximilian Mutchler;D. Nelson;F. Nimmo;J. I. Nunez;A. Ocampo;W. M. Owen;M. Paetzold;B. Page;F. Pelletier;J. Peterson;N. Pinkine;M. Piquette;S. B. Porter;S. Protopapa;J. Redfern;H. J. Reitsema;D. C. Reuter;J. H. Roberts;S. J. Robbins;G. Rogers;D. Rose;K. Runyon;M. G. Ryschkewitsch;P. Schenk;B. Sepan;M. R. Showalter;M. Soluri;D. Stanbridge;T. Stryk;J. R. Szalay;M. Tapley;A. Taylor;H. Taylor;O. M. Umurhan;A. J. Verbiscer;M. Vincent;R. Webbert;S. Weidner;G. E. Weigle;O. L. White;K. Whittenburg;B. G. Williams;K. Williams;A. M. Zangari;E. Zirnstein;the New Horizons Science Team;
Journal Science
Year 2016
DOI
10.1126/science.aad8866
URL
https://sciprofiles.com/publication/view/063e8e1983a07ddb02a7d8e687e9f666
Keywords
nitrogen atmosphere models acetylene horizons altitudes current state of pluto

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