PlutoWRF: a new general circulation model for Pluto's atmosphere

We present initial simulations using a new general circulation model (GCM) for the atmosphere of Pluto, PlutoWRF. PlutoWRF is the Pluto-specific implementation of the planetWRF generalized planetary atmospheric model, itself an extension and enhancement of the terresterial National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. In addition to utilizing orbital, geophysical, and atmospheric constants appropriate to Pluto, the model includes changes to physical parameterizations for turbulent and molecular transport, radiative heating and cooling of the atmosphere and surface (based on Strobel et al. [1996], with later improvements), and condensation and sublimation of ices on the surface. Sublimation and thermal forcing drive steady and seasonal flows, but also induce periodic (tidal and wave) components, which are the focus of our initial studies, and are thought to be detectable in stellar occultation temperature profiles.