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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
earth and planetary sciences
The 2011 June 23 stellar occultation by Pluto: Airborne and ground observations
Astronomical Journal, Volume 146, No. 4, Article 83, Year 2013
Notification
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Description
On 2011 June 23, stellar occultations by both Pluto (this work) and Charon (future analysis) were observed from numerous ground stations as well as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This first airborne occultation observation since 1995 with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory resulted in the best occultation chords recorded for the event, in three visible wavelength bands. The data obtained from SOFIA are combined with chords obtained from the ground at the IRTF, the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, and Leeward Community College to give the detailed state of the Pluto-Charon system at the time of the event with a focus on Pluto's atmosphere. The data show a return to the distinct upper and lower atmospheric regions with a knee or kink in the light curve separating them as was observed in 1988, rather than the smoothly transitioning bowl-shaped light curves of recent years. The upper atmosphere is analyzed by fitting a model to all of the light curves, resulting in a half-light radius of 1288 ± 1 km. The lower atmosphere is analyzed using two different methods to provide results under the differing assumptions of particulate haze and a strong thermal gradient as causes for the lower atmospheric diminution of flux. These results are compared with those from past occultations to provide a picture of Pluto's evolving atmosphere. Regardless of which lower atmospheric structure is assumed, results indicate that this part of the atmosphere evolves on short timescales with results changing the light curve structures between 1988 and 2006, and then reverting these changes in 2011 though at significantly higher pressures. Throughout these changes, the upper atmosphere remains remarkably stable in structure, again except for the overall pressure changes. No evidence of onset of atmospheric collapse predicted by frost migration models is seen, and the atmosphere appears to be remaining at a stable pressure level, suggesting it should persist at this full level through New Horizon's flyby in 2015. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Person, Michael J.
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dunham, E. W.
United States, Flagstaff
Lowell Observatory
Bosh, Amanda S.
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Levine, Stephen E.
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
United States, Flagstaff
Lowell Observatory
Sickafoose, A. A.
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
South Africa, Cape Town
South African Astronomical Observatory
Zangari, A. M.
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Zuluaga, Carlos A.
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pasachoff, Jay M.
United States, Williamstown
Williams College
Babcock, Bryce A.
United States, Williamstown
Williams College
Pandey, S.
United States, Williamstown
Williams College
Amrhein, D.
United States, Williamstown
Williams College
United States, Middletown
Wesleyan University Middletown
Sallum, Steph E.
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
United States, Tucson
The University of Arizona
Tholen, David J.
United States, Honolulu
University Hawaii Institute for Astronomy
Collins, P.
United States, Flagstaff
Lowell Observatory
Bida, Thomas A.
United States, Flagstaff
Lowell Observatory
Taylor, Brian W.
United States, Boston
Boston University
Bright, L.
United States, Flagstaff
Lowell Observatory
Wolf, J.
Germany, Stuttgart
Universität Stuttgart
United States, Moffett Field
Nasa Ames Research Center
Meyer, A. W.
United States, Moffett Field
Nasa Ames Research Center
Pfueller, E.
Germany, Stuttgart
Universität Stuttgart
United States, Moffett Field
Nasa Ames Research Center
Wiedemann, Manuel
Germany, Stuttgart
Universität Stuttgart
United States, Moffett Field
Nasa Ames Research Center
Roeser, H. P.
Germany, Stuttgart
Universität Stuttgart
Lucas, Robert E.
United States, Williamstown
Williams College
Kakkala, M.
United States, Pearl City
University of Hawaii Leeward Community College
Ciotti, J.
United States, Kaneohe
University of Hawaii Windward Community College
Plunkett, S.
United States, Kaneohe
University of Hawaii Windward Community College
Hiraoka, N.
United States, Kaneohe
University of Hawaii Windward Community College
Best, William M.J.
United States, Tucson
The University of Arizona
Pilger, E. J.
United States, Honolulu
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
Micheli, Marco
United States, Honolulu
University Hawaii Institute for Astronomy
Springmann, Alessondra
United States, Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Hicks, M.
United States, Pasadena
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Thackeray, B.
United States, Pasadena
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Emery, Joshua P.
United States, Knoxville
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Tilleman, T.
United States, Flagstaff
Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station
Harris, Hugh C.
United States, Flagstaff
Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station
Sheppard, Scott
United States, Washington, D.c.
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Rapoport, S.
Australia, Canberra
Australian National University, Mount Stromlo Observatory
Ritchie, I.
Australia
Eos Space Systems
Pearson, M.
Australia
Eos Space Systems
Mattingly, A.
Australia, Sydney
Ibm Australia Ltd
Brimacombe, Joseph
Australia, Townsville
James Cook University
Gault, David
Australia, Sydney
International Occultation Timing Association Iota
Jones, R.
Unknown Affiliation
Nolthenius, Richard A.
United States
Cabrillo Observatory
Broughton, J.
Unknown Affiliation
Barry, T.
Australia, Penrith
Western Sydney University
Statistics
Citations: 47
Authors: 47
Affiliations: 24
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1088/0004-6256/146/4/83
ISSN:
00046256