Comparative Studies of the Density and Thermal Structure and Associated Escape Rates of Pluto and Triton's Atmospheres

Abstract:

Both atmospheres of Pluto and Neptune’s largest satellite Triton have cold surfaces with similar surface gravities and atmospheric surface pressures. We have updated the Zhu et al. Icarus 228, 301, 2014) model for Pluto’s atmosphere by adopting Voigt line profiles in the radiation code with the latest spectral database and extended the model to Triton’s atmosphere by including additional parameterized heating due to the magnetospheric electron energy deposition. Various numerical experiments have been conducted to investigate parameter sensitivities on the atmospheric escape rate for an icy planetary body similar to Pluto or Triton. It is found that the escape rate is sensitive to the planetary surface gravity due to a cumulative effect of the density variation with the altitude that significantly changes the atmospheric scale height at the exobase together with the exobase altitude. The atmospheric thermal structure near the exobase is sensitive to the atmospheric escape rate only when it is significantly greater than 1.0e26 molecules per second above which an enhanced escape rate induced by various diabatic energy sources leads to a stronger radial velocity that adiabatically cools the atmosphere to a lower temperature.