Surface ices and the atmospheric composition of Pluto

Tobias C. Owen; Ted L. Roush; Dale P. Cruikshank; James L. Elliot; Leslie A. Young; Catherine De Bergh; Bernard Schmitt; Thomas R. Geballe; Robert H. Brown; Mary Jane Bartholomew

doi:10.1126/science.261.5122.745

Surface ices and the atmospheric composition of Pluto

Tobias C. Owen, Ted L. Roush, Dale P. Cruikshank, James L. Elliot, Leslie A. Young, Catherine De Bergh, Bernard Schmitt, Thomas R. Geballe, Robert H. Brown, Mary Jane Bartholomew

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

295 Scopus citations

Abstract

Observations of the 1.4- to 2.4-micrometer spectrum of Pluto reveal absorptions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen ices and confirm the presence of solid methane. Frozen nitrogen is more abundant than the other two ices by a factor of about 50; gaseous nitrogen must therefore be the major atmospheric constituent. The absence of carbon dioxide absorptions is one of several differences between the spectra of Pluto and Triton in this region. Both worlds carry information about the composition of the solar nebula and the processes by which icy planetesimals formed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	745-748
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	261
Issue number	5122
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.261.5122.745
State	Published - 1993
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Surface ices and the atmospheric composition of Pluto",

abstract = "Observations of the 1.4- to 2.4-micrometer spectrum of Pluto reveal absorptions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen ices and confirm the presence of solid methane. Frozen nitrogen is more abundant than the other two ices by a factor of about 50; gaseous nitrogen must therefore be the major atmospheric constituent. The absence of carbon dioxide absorptions is one of several differences between the spectra of Pluto and Triton in this region. Both worlds carry information about the composition of the solar nebula and the processes by which icy planetesimals formed.",

author = "Owen, {Tobias C.} and Roush, {Ted L.} and Cruikshank, {Dale P.} and Elliot, {James L.} and Young, {Leslie A.} and {De Bergh}, Catherine and Bernard Schmitt and Geballe, {Thomas R.} and Brown, {Robert H.} and Bartholomew, {Mary Jane}",

year = "1993",

doi = "10.1126/science.261.5122.745",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "261",

pages = "745--748",

journal = "Science",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Surface ices and the atmospheric composition of Pluto

AU - Owen, Tobias C.

AU - Roush, Ted L.

AU - Cruikshank, Dale P.

AU - Elliot, James L.

AU - Young, Leslie A.

AU - De Bergh, Catherine

AU - Schmitt, Bernard

AU - Geballe, Thomas R.

AU - Brown, Robert H.

AU - Bartholomew, Mary Jane

PY - 1993

Y1 - 1993

N2 - Observations of the 1.4- to 2.4-micrometer spectrum of Pluto reveal absorptions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen ices and confirm the presence of solid methane. Frozen nitrogen is more abundant than the other two ices by a factor of about 50; gaseous nitrogen must therefore be the major atmospheric constituent. The absence of carbon dioxide absorptions is one of several differences between the spectra of Pluto and Triton in this region. Both worlds carry information about the composition of the solar nebula and the processes by which icy planetesimals formed.

AB - Observations of the 1.4- to 2.4-micrometer spectrum of Pluto reveal absorptions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen ices and confirm the presence of solid methane. Frozen nitrogen is more abundant than the other two ices by a factor of about 50; gaseous nitrogen must therefore be the major atmospheric constituent. The absence of carbon dioxide absorptions is one of several differences between the spectra of Pluto and Triton in this region. Both worlds carry information about the composition of the solar nebula and the processes by which icy planetesimals formed.

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VL - 261

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JO - Science

JF - Science

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ER -

Surface ices and the atmospheric composition of Pluto

Abstract

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