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Table · dataset · 2020

Disk-resolved photometric properties of Pluto

Listed in IVOA Registry (Virtual Observatory)

A multiwavelength regionally dependent photometric analysis of Pluto's anti-Charon-facing hemisphere using images collected by New Horizons' Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) reveals large variations in the absolute value and spectral slope of the single-scattering albedo.

Description

Four regions of interest are analyzed: the dark equatorial belt, Pluto's north pole, nitrogen-rich regions, and the mid-latitude terrains.

Regions dominated by volatile ices such as Lowell Regio and Sputnik Planitia present single-scattering albedos of ~0.98 at 492nm, almost neutral across MVIC's visible wavelength range (400-910nm), indicating limited contributions from tholin materials. Pluto's dark equatorial regions, informally named Cthulhu and Krun Maculae, have single-scattering albedos of ~0.16 at 492nm and are the reddest regions. Applying the Hapke radiative transfer model to combined MVIC and Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA) spectra (400-2500nm) of Cthulhu Macula and Lowell Regio successfully reproduces the spectral properties of these two regions of dramatically disparate coloration, composition, and morphology.

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Since this model uses only a single coloring agent, very similar to the Titan like tholin of Khare+ (1984Icar...60..127K), to account for all of Pluto's colors, this result supports the Grundy+ (2016Sci...351.9189G) conclusion that Pluto's coloration is the result of photochemical products mostly produced in the atmosphere. Although cosmic rays and extreme ultraviolet photons reach Pluto's surface where they can drive chemical processing, observations of diverse surface colors do not require different chemical products produced in different environments.

We report a correction scaling factor in the LEISA radiometric calibration of 0.74{+/-}0.05.

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Catalogue records · 2

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Stated by source
Infrared · Optical
Inferred from text
Image 65% · Imaging 75%
Provenance · 1 source records, 11 field assertions
SourceKeyLast seenRaw
IVOA Registry (Virtual Observatory)ivo://cds.vizier/j/aj/159/7412 d agoJSON v1
FieldAssertionExtractorEvidence
access_levelsource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0
concepts[field].local:field:astronomymapping · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0
concepts[modality].ivoa_waveband:infraredsource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0
concepts[modality].ivoa_waveband:opticalsource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0
concepts[modality].local:modality:imageenrichment · IVOA Registrykeyword-concept-rules@1.0.0title+description (65%)
concepts[modality].local:modality:imagingenrichment · IVOA Registrykeyword-concept-rules@1.0.0title+description (75%)
descriptionsource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0rr.resource.res_description
license_textsource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0
publication_datesource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0
titlesource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0rr.resource.res_title
updated_datesource · IVOA Registryconnector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0