Deciphering Pluto's Haze: How a Solar-Powered Vapor-Pressure Plume Shapes Its Bimodal Particle Size Distribution

Sihe Chen; Danica Adams; Siteng Fan; Peter Gao; Eliot Young; Yuk Yung

Deciphering Pluto's Haze: How a Solar-Powered Vapor-Pressure Plume Shapes Its Bimodal Particle Size Distribution

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 2024-02-02 v1

Authors: Sihe Chen , Danica Adams , Siteng Fan , Peter Gao , Eliot Young , Yuk Yung

Abstract

Combining findings from New Horizons' suite of instruments reveals a bimodal haze particle distribution within Pluto's atmosphere, which haze models have not been able to reproduce. We employ the photochemical and microphysics KINAERO model to simulate seasonal cycles and their impact on the haze distribution. We find that the smaller spherical particle mode can be generated through photochemistry and coagulation, while the larger aggregate mode are formed by surface volatile deposits sublimating and subsequently lofting such particles upwards.

Keywords

Pluto haze bimodal particle size distribution photochemical model vapor-pressure plume atmospheric microphysics

Cite

@article{arxiv.2402.00510,
  title  = {Deciphering Pluto's Haze: How a Solar-Powered Vapor-Pressure Plume Shapes Its Bimodal Particle Size Distribution},
  author = {Sihe Chen and Danica Adams and Siteng Fan and Peter Gao and Eliot Young and Yuk Yung},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.00510},
  year   = {2024}
}

Deciphering Pluto's Haze: How a Solar-Powered Vapor-Pressure Plume Shapes Its Bimodal Particle Size Distribution

Abstract

Keywords

Cite

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