Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userPlutos global surface composition through pixel-by-pixel Hapke modeling of New Horizons Ralph/LEISA data
126
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
On July 14th 2015, NASAs New Horizons mission gave us an unprecedented detailed view of the Pluto system. The complex compositional diversity of Plutos encounter hemisphere was revealed by the Ralph/LEISA infrared spectrometer on board of New Horizons. We present compositional maps of Pluto defining the spatial distribution of the abundance and textural properties of the volatiles methane and nitrogen ices and non-volatiles water ice and tholin. These results are obtained by applying a pixel-by-pixel Hapke radiative transfer model to the LEISA scans. Our analysis focuses mainly on the large scale latitudinal variations of methane and nitrogen ices and aims at setting observational constraints to volatile transport models. Specifically, we find three latitudinal bands: the first, enriched in methane, extends from the pole to 55deg N, the second dominated by nitrogen, continues south to 35deg N, and the third, composed again mainly of methane, reaches 20deg N. We demonstrate that the distribution of volatiles across these surface units can be explained by differences in insolation over the past few decades. The latitudinal pattern is broken by Sputnik Planitia, a large reservoir of volatiles, with nitrogen playing the most important role. The physical properties of methane and nitrogen in this region are suggestive of the presence of a cold trap or possible volatile stratification. Furthermore our modeling results point to a possible sublimation transport of nitrogen from the northwest edge of Sputnik Planitia toward the south.
rate research
Read More
The small atmosphereless objects of our solar system, such as asteroids, the moon are covered by layer of dust particles known as regolith, formed by meteoritic impact. The light scattering studies of such dust layer by laboratory experiment and numerical simulation are two important tools to investigate their physical properties. In the present work, the light scattered from a layer of dust particles, containing 0.3{mu}m Al2O3 at wavelength 632.8 nm is analysed. This work has been performed by using a light scattering instrument ellipsometer, at the Department of Physics, Assam Universiy, Silchar, India. Through this experiment, we generated in laboratory the photometric and polarimetric phase curves of light scattered from such a layer. In order to numerically simulate this data, we used Hapkes model combined with Mies single particle scattering properties. The perpendicular and parallel components of single particle albedo and the phase function were derived from Mie theory. By using the Hapkes model combined with Mie theory, the physical properties of the dust grain such as grain size, optical constant (n,k) and wavelength can be studied through this scheme. In literature, till today no theoretical model to represent polarisation caused due to scattering from rough surface is available, which can successfully explain the scattering process. So the main objective of this work is to develop a model which can theoretically estimate polarisation as caused due to scattering from rough surface and also to validate our model with the laboratory data generated in the present work.
Plutos surface is geologically complex because of volatile ices that are mobile on seasonal and longer time scales. Here we analyzed New Horizons LEISA spectral data to globally map the nitrogen ice, including nitrogen with methane diluted in it. Our goal was to learn about the seasonal processes influencing ice redistribution, to calculate the globally averaged energy balance, and to place a lower limit on Plutos N2 inventory. We present the average latitudinal distribution of nitrogen and investigate the relationship between its distribution and topography on Pluto by using maps that include the shifted bands of methane in solid solution with nitrogen to more completely map the distribution of the nitrogen ice. We find that the global average bolometric albedo is 0.83 +- 0.11, similar to that inferred for Triton, and that a significant fraction of Plutos N2 is stored in Sputnik Planitia. Under the assumption that Plutos nitrogen-dominated 11.5 microbar atmosphere is in vapor pressure equilibrium with the nitrogen ice, the ice temperature is 36.93 +/- 0.10 K, as measured by New Horizons. Combined with our global energy balance calculation, this implies that the average bolometric emissivity of Plutos nitrogen ice is probably in the range 0.47 - 0.72. This is consistent with the low emissivities estimated for Triton based on Voyager, and may have implications for Plutos atmospheric seasonal variations, as discussed below. The global pattern of volatile transport at the time of the encounter was from north to south, and the transition between condensation and sublimation within Sputnik Planitia is correlated with changes in the grain size and CH4 concentration derived from the spectral maps. The low emissivity of Plutos N2 ice suggests that Plutos atmosphere may undergo an extended period of constant pressure even as Pluto recedes from the Sun in its orbit.
The New Horizons flyby of Pluto confirmed the existence of hazes in its atmosphere. Observations of a large high- to low- phase brightness ratio, combined with the blue color of the haze, suggest that the haze particles are fractal aggregates, analogous to the photochemical hazes on Titan. Therefore, studying the Pluto hazes can shed light on the similarities and differences between the Pluto and Titan atmospheres. We model the haze distribution using the Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres assuming that the distribution is shaped by sedimentation and coagulation of particles originating from photochemistry. Hazes composed of both purely spherical and purely fractal aggregate particles are considered. Agreement between model results and occultation observations is obtained with aggregate particles when the downward flux of photochemical products is equal to the column-integrated methane destruction rate ~1.2 $times$ 10$^{-14}$ g cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, while for spherical particles the mass flux must be 2-3 times greater. This flux is nearly identical to the haze production flux of Titan previously obtained by comparing microphysical model results to Cassini observations. The aggregate particle radius is sensitive to particle charging, and a particle charge to radius ratio of 30 e-/{mu}m is necessary to produce ~0.1-0.2 {mu}m aggregates near Plutos surface, in accordance with forward scattering measurements. Such a particle charge to radius ratio is 2-4 times higher than those previously obtained for Titan. Hazes composed of spheres with the same particle charge to radius ratio have particles that are 4 times smaller. These results further suggest that the haze particles are fractal aggregates. We also consider the effect of condensation of HCN, and C$_{2}$-hydrocarbons on the haze particles, which may play an important role in shaping their distributions.
Recent work has shown impressive results on data-driven defocus deblurring using the two-image views available on modern dual-pixel (DP) sensors. One significant challenge in this line of research is access to DP data. Despite many cameras having DP sensors, only a limited number provide access to the low-level DP sensor images. In addition, capturing training data for defocus deblurring involves a time-consuming and tedious setup requiring the cameras aperture to be adjusted. Some cameras with DP sensors (e.g., smartphones) do not have adjustable apertures, further limiting the ability to produce the necessary training data. We address the data capture bottleneck by proposing a procedure to generate realistic DP data synthetically. Our synthesis approach mimics the optical image formation found on DP sensors and can be applied to virtual scenes rendered with standard computer software. Leveraging these realistic synthetic DP images, we introduce a recurrent convolutional network (RCN) architecture that improves deblurring results and is suitable for use with single-frame and multi-frame data (e.g., video) captured by DP sensors. Finally, we show that our synthetic DP data is useful for training DNN models targeting video deblurring applications where access to DP data remains challenging.
The exploration of the Pluto-Charon system by the New Horizons spacecraft represents the first opportunity to understand the distribution of albedo and other photometric properties of the surfaces of objects in the Solar Systems Third Zone of distant ice-rich bodies. Images of the entire illuminated surface of Pluto and Charon obtained by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera provide a global map of Pluto that reveals surface albedo variegations larger than any other Solar System world except for Saturns moon Iapetus. Normal reflectances on Pluto range from 0.08-1.0, and the low-albedo areas of Pluto are darker than any region of Charon. Charon exhibits a much blander surface with normal reflectances ranging from 0.20-0.73. Plutos albedo features are well-correlated with geologic features, although some exogenous low-albedo dust may be responsible for features seen to the west of the area informally named Tombaugh Regio. The albedo patterns of both Pluto and Charon are latitudinally organized, with the exception of Tombaugh Regio, with darker regions concentrated at the Plutos equator and Charons northern pole The phase curve of Pluto is similar to that of Triton, the large moon of Neptune believed to be a captured Kuiper Belt Object (KBO), while Charons is similar to that of the Moon. Preliminary Bond albedos are 0.25+/-0.03 for Charon and 0.72+/-0.07 for Pluto. Maps of an approximation to the Bond albedo for both Pluto and Charon are presented for the first time. Our work shows a connection between very high albedo (near unity) and planetary activity, a result that suggests the KBO Eris may be currently active.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
