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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Spectroscopy of Triton and Pluto: Current status and prospects

Near-infrared spectrophotometry of Triton and Pluto at low spectral resolution and signal precision reveals methane absorption on both bodies. The absorption on Triton is probably gaseous CH4, while that on Pluto is a combination of gas and ice of CH4. Using present detectors and telescopes, spectra of Triton and Pluto can be obtained which are 5-10 times better than those published, but such data will not be sufficient to distinguish between gaseous and solid methane on these bodies.

Cruikshank, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Methane on Triton and Pluto - New CCD spectra

Spectra of Triton and of Pluto from 4553-9558 A at 25 A resolution are presented. Both spectra show the methane absorption near 8900 A; its equivalent width was 16 times greater on Pluto than on Triton at the time of the observations. This is the first published observation of the 8900 A feature in Triton's spectrum. The previously reported 27 m-amagat abundance of the Pluto atmosphere ignored contributions due to methane ice and should therefore be regarded as an upper limit. The observations of the Pluto spectrum discussed here show sharp structure in the 8900 and 8600 A bands; the case for an atmosphere on Pluto may turn on whether new laboratory measurements show that such structure is present in methane ice.

Apt, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Nitrogen on Triton

The tentative identification of liquid nitrogen as the source of the 2.16-micron absorption band in the spectrum of Triton has suggested a surface model in which nitrogen, together with the previously identified methane, occur in some kind of chemical association. Water frost may be another surface chemistry component, and dark, photochemically-produced particles occur as a minor contaminant of the ices or liquid. Temperature is noted to be a critical factor in the surface model, because the calculated subsolar surface temperature of Triton lies near nitrogen's melting-freezing temperature. The present modeling of Triton suggests nitrogen's occurrence in the form of fine grains.

Clark, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Chemical processes in Triton's atmosphere and surface

The Neptune moon Triton may have an appreciable atmosphere; the preliminary calculations of Delitsky (1983) have suggested that there should be a significant resultant chemistry in a possible N2 ocean with dissolved CH4, given charged-particle radiolysis of gaseous mixtures and gamma radiolysis of N2-CH4 solutions. The latter will yield substantial quantities of organic products which will be partially soluble in any N2-CH4 liquid present. Attention is presently given to the energy sources available for Triton, in order to estimate rates of synthesis and ascertain the possible history of such simple and complex organic products on Triton's surface.

Delitsky, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Laboratory studies of irradiated nitrogen-methane mixtures - Applications to Triton

The characteristics of the near-IR spectrum of Triton is addressed in view of 0.8-2.5 micron laboratory transmission spectra obtained for methane dissolved in liquid nitrogen. It is found that, for methane concentrations greater than 3 percent of the saturation value, the collision-induced, 2.152-micron first-overtone band of molecular nitrogen is overshadowed by the methane band centered at 2.3 microns. While gamma-radiolysis of nitrogen-methane mixtures generates an unstable precipitate whose yellowish color is qualitatively similar to the yellow color of Triton, no specific absorption band in the precipitate can be unambiguously identified on Triton.

Piscitelli, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The density of Triton - A prediction

The density of Triton is predicted as a function of radius, based on the assumptions that it was captured from solar orbit and has a rock/ice ratio similar to that of the Pluto-Charon system. The best present estimates for Triton's radius are 1000-2000 km, and if the present origin hypothesis is correct, its density should be greater than 2.0 g/cu cm, increasing slowly wih radius. On the other hahd, if Triton is an original regular satellite whose orbit has been perturbed, its density will be lower and more consistent with the derived rock fractions of other icy satellites.

Mckinnon, William B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Triton - Do we see to the surface?

The quantity and physical state of methane and nitrogen in the atmosphere of Neptune's satellite Triton and on the surface are evaluated by means of new telescopic data and laboratory measurements of these volatiles. Methane ice is seen in some spectral regions, indicating that the atmosphere is sufficiently transparent to permit sunlight penetration to the surface. Some of the molecular nitrogen absorption occurs in the atmosphere, though some must occur in condensed nitrogen (liquid or solid) on Triton's surface, or in a thin cloud of condensed nitrogen. The Voyager spacecraft cameras should see the surface of Triton.

Cruikshank, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

On the obliquity and tidal heating of Triton

Although tidal heating is generally associated with spin-locked satellites on eccentric orbits, a satellite with a large obliquity can undergo substantial heating due to obliquity tides, even on a circular orbit. The near-100-deg obliquity of the Neptune moon, Triton, could generate significant tidal heating and eventually lead to a damping of its orbital inclination to 180 deg. Ground-based observations of Triton have tentatively found a synchronous rotational state that is consistent with despinning times of about 10,000 years, indicating that Triton is almost certainly rotating synchronously.

Jankowski, David G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Triton - Stratospheric molecules and organic sediments

Continuous-flow plasma discharge techniques show production rates of hydrocarbons and nitriles in N2 + CH4 atmospheres appropriate to the stratosphere of Titan, and indicate that a simple eddy diffusion model together with the observed electron flux quantitatively matches the Voyager IRIS observations for all the hydrocarbons, except for the simplest ones. Charged particle chemistry is very important in Triton's stratosphere. In the more CH4-rich case of Titan, many hydrocarbons and nitriles are produced in high yield. If N2 is present, the CH4 fraction is low, but hydrocarbons and nitriles are produced in fair yield, abundances of HCN and C2H2 in Triton's stratosphere exceed 10 to the 19th molecules/sq cm per sec, and NCCN, C3H4, and other species are predicted to be present. These molecules may be detected by IRIS if the stratosphere is as warm as expected. Both organic haze and condensed gases will provide a substantial UV and visible opacity in Triton's atmosphere.

Thompson, W. Reid↗
NASA NTRS1989

Tidal evolution in the Neptune-Triton system

Triton, which is currently spiralling toward Neptune due to tides raised on both bodies, possesses an obliquity which may lie close to either a zero-deg 'state 1' or a 100-deg 'state 2' which correspond to the two stable Cassini extrema of its rotational Hamiltonian. The Kaula (1966) tidal formalism is presently used to model the past and future evolution of the system in both states. For nominal parameters in state 1, Triton will reach Neptune's Roche limit in about 3.6 Gyr with a decrease in orbital inclination to 145 deg from the current 159 deg; in the case of state 2, Triton's inclination will increase to 180 deg in 10-100 million years and then transition to state 1, subsequently reaching the Neptune Roche limit in about 1.4 Gyr.

Chyba, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Neptune's Triton: A moon rich in dry ice and carbon

The encounter of the spacecraft Voyager 2 with Neptune and its large satellite Triton in August 1989 will provide a crucial test of ideas regarding the origin and chemical composition of the outer solar system. In this pre-encounter publication, the possibility is quantified that Titron is a captured moon which, like Pluto and Charon, originally condensed as a major planetesimal within the gas ring that was shed by the contracting protosolar cloud at Neptune's orbit. Ideas of supersonic convective turbulence are used to compute the gas pressure, temperature and rat of catalytic synthesis of CH4, CO2, and C(s) within the protosolar cloud, assuming that all C is initially present as CO. The calculations lead to a unique composition for Triton, Pluto, Charon: each body consists of, by mass, 18 1/2 percent solid CO2 ice, 4 percent graphite, 1/2 percent CH4 ice, 29 percent methanated water ice and 48 percent of anhydrous rock. This mix has a density consistent with that of the Pluto-Charon system and yields a predicted mean density for Triton of 2.20 + or - 0.5 g/cu cm, for satellite radius equal to 1,750 km.

Prentice, A. J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Voyager radio science observations of Neptune and Triton

Voyager 2 undertook radio science investigations of the Neptune and Triton masses and densities, as well as of their atmospheric and ionospheric vertical structures, the atmospheric composition and low-order gravitational harmonics of Neptune, and ring material characteristics. Upon probing the atmosphere of Neptune to a pressure level of about 500,000 Pa, the effects of a methane cloud region and of ammonia absorption below the cloud have become apparent. The tenuous neutral atmosphere of Triton produced distinct signatures in the occultation data; it is inferred that the Triton atmosphere is controlled by water-pressure equilibrium with surface ices.

Tyler, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Magnetospheric interaction with Triton's ionosphere

The large electron densities measured by the Voyager radio occultation experiment are attributed to the precipitation of magnetospheric electrons with energy above 10 keV. Because the ionospheric electric Pedersen conductivity of Triton is about 10,000-20,000 mho and the Alfven conductance is about 3.5 mho, direct convective flow of plasma into the essentially infinitely conducting ionosphere is negligible. Magnetospheric electrons are transported to Triton's ionopause by curvature drift as a result of weak magnetic field line draping in a sub-Alfvenic plasma interaction with Triton. At the ionopause energetic electrons have a high probability of elastic and inelastic scattering and precipitate into the upper atmosphere. The average power dissipation is estimated to be about (2 - 3) x 10 to the 8th W.

Strobel, Darrell F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Nitrogen ion clusters in Triton's atmosphere

The nitrogen ion chemistry that controls Triton's ionospheric composition and may be responsible for the hazes detected by the Voyager spacecraft are discussed. In particular, it is shown that nitrogen cluster ion formation should readily occur in Triton's thin cold atmosphere. The very low temperatures of Triton's atmosphere imply that these clustered ions can nucleate into solid nitrogen particles, creating the extended visible hazes. A model based on the chemical kinetics of nitrogen ions predicts a dense ionosphere at 200-400 km, as detected by Voyager radio occultation measurements.

Delitsky, Mona L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The photochemistry of methane in the atmosphere of Triton

The model of Summers and Strobel (1989) for photochemical reactions in the Uranus atmosphere was modified and used for quantitative calculations of methane in the atmosphere of Triton. The principal adjustable parameters in the new model are the surface CH4 concentrations and the vigor of vertical mixing in Triton's lower atmosphere. It is shown the rate of methane photolysis that was calculated is sufficient to generate a smog of condensed C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, and C4H2 particles in the lowest 30 km of Triton's atmosphere, with an optical depth consistent with the Voyager imaging results.

Strobel, Darrell F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Spectral geometric albedo and bolometric Bond albedo of Neptune's satellite Triton from Voyager observations

The spectral geometric albedo and the bolometric Bond albedo of Triton are calculated using data from the Voyager spacecraft photopolarimeter and science experiments. The geometric albedo is not inconsistent with the presence of a weak absorption feature in Triton's spectrum near 0.75 micron. The bolometric Bond albedo (0.65) is consistent with the 38 K daytime surface temperature of Triton. The results are also in agreement with the 37.5 K temperature of nitrogen at an infrared basal pressure of 14 microbar.

Nelson, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Triton: A hot potato

The effect of sunlight on the surface of Triton was studied. Widely disparate models of the active geysers observed during Voyager 2 flyby were proposed, with a solar energy source almost their only feature. Yet Triton derives more of its heat from internal sources (energy released by the radioactive decay) than any other icy satellite. The effect of this relatively large internal heat on the observable behavior of volatiles on Triton's surface is investigated. The following subject areas are covered: the Global Energy Budget; insulation polar caps; effect on frost stability; mantle convection; and cryovolcanism.

Kirk, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Energy sources for Triton's geyser-like plumes

Four geyser-like plumes were discovered near Triton's south pole in areas now in permanent sunlight. Because Triton's southern hemisphere is nearing a maximum summer solstice, insolation as a driver or a trigger for Triton's geyser-like plumes is an attractive hypothesis. Trapping of solar radiation in a translucent, low-conductivity surface layer (in a solid-state greenhouse), which is subsequently released in the form of latent heat of sublimation, could provide the required energy. Both the classical solid-state greenhouse consisting of exponentially absorbed insolation in a gray, translucent layer of solid nitrogen, and the 'super' greenhouse consisting of a relatively transparent solid-nitrogen layer over an opaque, absorbing layer are plausible candidates. Geothermal heat may also play a part if assisted by the added energy input of seasonal cycles of insolation.

Brown, R. H.↗