The atmosphere of Pluto as observed by New Horizons
B. R. Gladstone, S. A. Stern, K. Ennico, C. B. Olkin, H. A. Weaver,
L. A. Young, M. E. Summers, D. F. Strobel, D. P. Hinson, J. A. Kammer,
A. H. Parker, A. J. Steffl, I. R. Linscott, J. Wm. Parker, A. F. Cheng,
D. C. Slater, M. H. Versteeg, T. K. Greathouse, K. D. Retherford, H. Throop,
N. J. Cunningham, W. W. Woods, K. N. Singer, C. C. C. Tsang, E. Schindhelm,
C. M. Lisse, M. L. Wong, Y. L. Yung, X. Zhu, W. Curdt, P. Lavvas, E. F. Young,
G. L. 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. Dalle Ore, C. Deboy, Z. J. B. Dischner, P. Dumont,
A. M. Earle, H. A. Elliott, J. Ercol, C. M. 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,
P. Kollmann, S. M. Krimigis, D. Kusnierkiewicz, T. R. 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, M. 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. H. Versteeg, M. Vincent, R. Webbert, S. Weidner, G. E. Weigle, O. L. White,
K. Whittenburg, B. G. Williams, K. Williams, S. Williams, A. M. Zangari,
E. Zirnstein.
Science 351, aad8866 (2016).
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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