Photometric Explorations of Volatile Shifts on Pluto’s Surface
Name
Thesis_Claire_McLellan_Cassivi-SB_final.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
4.08 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e5e78fd0f8d0ad08db07f206ef4039d9
Author(s)
McLellan-Cassivi, Claire
Advisor(s)
Person, Michael J.
Date Issued
February 2024
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Pluto was observed over the course of three months with the goal of generating light curves to determine if volatile transport had occurred since the New Horizons Mission in 2015. Pluto’s surface is primarily made up of volatile ices, which are thought to migrate as Pluto’s seasons change. Further understanding of how these volatiles migrate across Pluto could further constrain models of Pluto’s atmosphere. The light curves generated in this project were compared to pre-New Horizons light curves to determine any volatile transport. These comparisons provide evidence of possible migration of ice in the Tombaugh Regio, which could be useful in further atmospheric research. Further observations with higher exposure times are needed to determine if volatile transport has happened in other major regions of Pluto.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
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