A search for ethane on Pluto and Triton

DeMeo, Francesca E.; Dumas, Christophe; Bérgh, C. de; Protopapa, S.; Cruikshank, D. P.; Geballe, T. R.; Álvarez-Candal, A.; Merlin, F.; Barucci, Maria Antonietta

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.01.014

Cited by 60 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…6). The feature at 1.58 μm could also correspond to a minor CO band, as suggested by Grundy et al (2014), DeMeo et al (2010), or Merlin et al (2010, especially for the spectrum obtained at SEEL 5…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 52%

“…Protopapa et al (2008), DeMeo et al (2010), and Merlin et al (2010) suggest some newly discovered chemical compounds on Pluto, such as ethane and acrylonitrile (both formed from chemical reactions) and confirm the presence of carbon monoxide and nitrogen. Unfortunately, the quality of the spectra were limited and did not enable us to clearly constrain the physical properties and discover other minor species (mainly formed from irradiation of N 2 :CH 4 :CO layers); see Moore & Hudson (2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

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New constraints on the surface of Pluto

Merlin

2015

A&A

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Aims. Spectroscopic investigation of the surface of Pluto allows us to constrain the chemical properties of the volatile species of the solar system reservoir. This permits us to obtain the relative abundances of various molecules, their physical properties, as well as their spatial and temporal variation. This also could tell us about the origin of various minor chemical compounds formed during the solar system formation or generated later on by space weathering. This will give us critical information about the evolution processes that may occur in the entire trans-Neptunian objects population, and in particular the biggest objects, which could retain tenuous atmospheres. Methods. New observations of the surface of Pluto have been carried out along with reanalyses of older observations carried out with the ESO-VLT telescopes and the SINFONI instrument at a mean spectral resolution of 1500. We present three new near-infrared spectra of Pluto observed at different epochs, and covering the H and K spectral bands showing absorption features of methane, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide ices. We ran different spectral models, based on Hapke theory, to constrain the physical and chemical properties of different sides of Pluto. Results. We have confirmed the spatial and secular variation of the spectral properties of the surface of Pluto. The abundances, sizes, and temperatures of different ices, such as CH 4 , CO, and N 2 have been constrained for different parts of the surface of Pluto. The results suggest a temperature probably just above the alpha-beta transition phase of N 2 (close to 36.5 K), and a probable stratification of the dilution state of CO and CH 4 . The presence of minor chemical compounds, such as C 2 H 6 , has been confirmed too, and for data obtained at several sub-Earth east longitudes. Solid C 2 H 4 is suggested by the spectral modeling with abundance variation following that of solid C 2 H 6 and solid CH 4 .

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

New constraints on the surface of Pluto

Merlin

2015

A&A

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“…Not being detected at the signal precision of our grand average spectrum implies that less than 3% of the observed surface of the Pluto-Charon system could be covered with Triton-like material. DeMeo et al (2010) searched for ethane ice absorptions in Pluto spectra obtained in 2005, finding features consistent with pure C 2 H 6 ice at 2.274, 2.405, 2.457, and 2.461 lm. Our grand average spectrum looks consistent with their data at 2.274 and 2.405 lm (see Fig.…”

Section: Grand Averagementioning

confidence: 99%

Near-infrared spectral monitoring of Pluto’s ices: Spatial distribution and secular evolution

Grundy

Olkin

Young

et al. 2013

Icarus

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a b s t r a c tWe report results from monitoring Pluto's 0.8 to 2.4 lm reflectance spectrum with IRTF/SpeX on 65 nights over the dozen years from 2001 to 2012. The spectra show vibrational absorption features of simple molecules CH 4 , CO, and N 2 condensed as ices on Pluto's surface. These absorptions are modulated by the planet's 6.39 day rotation period, enabling us to constrain the longitudinal distributions of the three ices. Absorptions of CO and N 2 are concentrated on Pluto's anti-Charon hemisphere, unlike absorptions of less volatile CH 4 ice that are offset by roughly 90°from the longitude of maximum CO and N 2 absorption. In addition to the diurnal variations, the spectra show longer term trends. On decadal timescales, Pluto's stronger CH 4 absorption bands have been getting deeper, while the amplitude of their diurnal variation is diminishing, consistent with additional CH 4 absorption at high northern latitudes rotating into view as the sub-Earth latitude moves north (as defined by the system's angular momentum vector). Unlike the CH 4 absorptions, Pluto's CO and N 2 absorptions appear to be declining over time, suggesting more equatorial or southerly distributions of those species. Comparisons of geometrically-matched pairs of observations favor geometric explanations for the observed secular changes in CO and N 2 absorption, although seasonal volatile transport could be at least partly responsible. The case for a volatile transport contribution to the secular evolution looks strongest for CH 4 ice, despite it being the least volatile of the three ices.

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“…Specifically, spectroscopic data have shown that Pluto's surface ice is dominated by N 2 , CH 4 , and CO. Small quantities of other ices such as C 2 H 6 have also been detected (Cruikshank et al 2006;DeMeo et al 2010;Cook et al 2014). Notably, Pluto exhibits significant surface variegation, which may in part be the result of the presence of complex organic molecules.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ICE CHEMISTRY ON OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES: ELECTRON RADIOLYSIS OF N₂-, CH₄-, AND CO-CONTAINING ICES

Materese

Cruikshank

Sandford

et al. 2015

ApJ

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Radiation processing of the surface ices of outer Solar System bodies may be an important process for the production of complex chemical species. The refractory materials resulting from radiation processing of known ices are thought to impart to them a red or brown color, as perceived in the visible spectral region. In this work, we analyzed the refractory materials produced from the 1.2-keV electron bombardment of low-temperature N 2 -, CH 4 -, and CO-containing ices (100:1:1), which simulates the radiation from the secondary electrons produced by cosmic ray bombardment of the surface ices of Pluto. Despite starting with extremely simple ices dominated by N 2 , electron irradiation processing results in the production of refractory material with complex oxygen-and nitrogenbearing organic molecules. These refractory materials were studied at room temperature using multiple analytical techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Infrared spectra of the refractory material suggest the presence of alcohols, carboxylic acids, ketones, aldehydes, amines, and nitriles. XANES spectra of the material indicate the presence of carboxyl groups, amides, urea, and nitriles, and are thus consistent with the IR data. Atomic abundance ratios for the bulk composition of these residues from XANES analysis show that the organic residues are extremely N-rich, having ratios of N/C ∼ 0.9 and O/C ∼ 0.2. Finally, GC-MS data reveal that the residues contain urea as well as numerous carboxylic acids, some of which are of interest for prebiotic and biological chemistries.

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A search for ethane on Pluto and Triton

Cited by 60 publications

References 51 publications

New constraints on the surface of Pluto

New constraints on the surface of Pluto

Near-infrared spectral monitoring of Pluto’s ices: Spatial distribution and secular evolution

ICE CHEMISTRY ON OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES: ELECTRON RADIOLYSIS OF N₂-, CH₄-, AND CO-CONTAINING ICES

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A search for ethane on Pluto and Triton

Cited by 60 publications

References 51 publications

New constraints on the surface of Pluto

New constraints on the surface of Pluto

Near-infrared spectral monitoring of Pluto’s ices: Spatial distribution and secular evolution

ICE CHEMISTRY ON OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES: ELECTRON RADIOLYSIS OF N2-, CH4-, AND CO-CONTAINING ICES

Contact Info

Product

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About

ICE CHEMISTRY ON OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES: ELECTRON RADIOLYSIS OF N₂-, CH₄-, AND CO-CONTAINING ICES