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arXiv 1606.03293astro-ph.EP
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用ALMA探测冥王星大气中的CO和HCN

Detection of CO and HCN in Pluto's atmosphere with ALMA

E. Lellouch, M. Gurwell, B. Butler, T. Fouchet, P. Lavvas, D. F. Strobel, B. Sicardy, A. Moullet, R. Moreno, D. Bockelée-Morvan, N. Biver, L. Young, D. Lis, J. … 展开作者

E. Lellouch, M. Gurwell, B. Butler, T. Fouchet, P. Lavvas, D. F. Strobel, B. Sicardy, A. Moullet, R. Moreno, D. Bockelée-Morvan, N. Biver, L. Young, D. Lis, J. Stansberry, A. Stern, H. Weaver, E. Young, X. Zhu, J. Boissier

摘要:

2015年6月12日至13日,ALMA干涉仪对冥王星-冥卫一系统进行了观测,探测到了冥王星的CO(3-2)和HCN(4-3)旋转跃迁,有力地证实了冥王星大气中CO的存在,并首次观测到HCN。CO和HCN谱线探测冥王星的大气层,分别达到约450公里和约900公里的高度。CO检测产生(i)CO摩尔分数的大大改进的测定,对于12 ubar的表面压力为515+/-40 ppm(ii)明显的温度降低的明确证据(即,在30-50公里的平流层顶上方,最佳确定温度为70+/-2 K,与最近从New Horizo ns/ Alice太阳掩星数据推断的结果一致。HCN的线形意味着这种物质在高层大气中的丰度很高,在450公里以上摩尔分数>1.5x10-5,在800公里附近摩尔分数为4x 10 -5。大的HCN丰度和寒冷的高层大气意味着HCN的过饱和度(7-8个数量级)到目前为止在行星大气中未见,可能是由于冥王星高层大气在低压和低温条件下凝结的缓慢动力学。HCN也存在于大气层底部~100 km处,摩尔分数为10-8 - 10-7;这意味着HCN在那里饱和或欠饱和,这取决于精确的平流层顶温度。HCN柱为(1.6+/-0.4 x10 ^14 cm-2),表明表面参考净生产率约为2x10^7 cm-2s-1。虽然HCN旋转线冷却影响冥王星的大气热收支,在这项研究中确定的金额是不够的,以解释显着的中层和高层大气的~70 K的温度。我们最终报告了HC 3 N柱密度(< 2x10^13 cm-2)和HC 15 N/HC 14 N比(< 1/125)的上限。

英文摘要:

Observations of the Pluto-Charon system, acquired with the ALMA interferometer on June 12-13, 2015, have yielded a detection of the CO(3-2) and HCN(4-3) rotational transitions from Pluto, providing a strong confirmation of the presence of CO, and the first observation of HCN, in Pluto's atmosphere. The CO and HCN lines probe Pluto's atmosphere up to ~450 km and ~900 km altitude, respectively. The CO detection yields (i) a much improved determination of the CO mole fraction, as 515+/-40 ppm for a 12 ubar surface pressure (ii) clear evidence for a well-marked temperature decrease (i.e., mesosphere) above the 30-50 km stratopause and a best-determined temperature of 70+/-2 K at 300 km, in agreement with recent inferences from New Horizons / Alice solar occultation data. The HCN line shape implies a high abundance of this species in the upper atmosphere, with a mole fraction >1.5x10-5 above 450 km and a value of 4x10-5 near 800 km. The large HCN abundance and the cold upper atmosphere imply supersaturation of HCN to a degree (7-8 orders of magnitude) hitherto unseen in planetary atmospheres, probably due to the slow kinetics of condensation at the low pressure and temperature conditions of Pluto's upper atmosphere. HCN is also present in the bottom ~100 km of the atmosphere, with a 10-8 - 10-7 mole fraction; this implies either HCN saturation or undersaturation there, depending on the precise stratopause temperature. The HCN column is (1.6+/-0.4)x10^14 cm-2, suggesting a surface-referred net production rate of ~2x10^7 cm-2s-1. Although HCN rotational line cooling affects Pluto's atmosphere heat budget, the amounts determined in this study are insufficient to explain the well-marked mesosphere and upper atmosphere's ~70 K temperature. We finally report an upper limit on the HC3N column density (< 2x10^13 cm-2) and on the HC15N / HC14N ratio (< 1/125).

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