Pluto's Atmospheric CH4: Preparing for the New Horizons Encounter
Abstract
Pluto's atmosphere undergoes dramatic seasonal change as the sub-solar point varies over +-57.5 degrees latitude. Gaseous CH4 plays a critical role in volatile migration, surface-atmosphere interaction, energy balance, photochemistry, and haze production on Pluto. A basic goal of this proposal is to understand the role of minor species in the volatile transport on frost-covered objects such as Pluto. We propose NIRSPEC observations of gaseous methane at four longitudes on Pluto to study seasonal, longitudinal, and vertical variations and provide important context for interpreting observations from the New Horizons mission Pluto encounter in mid-2015.
- Publication:
-
Keck Observatory Archive NIRSPEC
- Pub Date:
- February 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014koa..prop..630R