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The New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

The New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Leslie Young New Horizons Deputy Project Scientist 303-546-6057 (USA) layoung@boulder.swri.edu. Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydra as seen from HST. Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydra as seen in the Louvre. New Horizons trajectory. Launch

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The New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

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  1. The New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Leslie Young New Horizons Deputy Project Scientist 303-546-6057 (USA) layoung@boulder.swri.edu

  2. Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydraas seen from HST Workshop 3e zone

  3. Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydraas seen in the Louvre Workshop 3e zone

  4. New Horizons trajectory Launch 19 Jan 2006 Jupiter System 28 Feb 2007 Pluto-Charon 14 July 2015 KBOs 2016-2020 Workshop 3e zone

  5. Instrument Payload SDC Student dust counter (under spacecraft) REX Radio science & radiometry PEPSSI Energetic particle detector SWAP Solar wind analyzer +Y Alice UV imaging spectrometer +X LORRI Long-range visible imager +Z Ralph visible pan. and color imager, IR spectrometer Star Trackers Guidance and control Workshop 3e zone

  6. New Horizons Remote Sensing Instrument Fields of View (-X) Workshop 3e zone

  7. 2.10-2.25 µm, R≈560 4444-4762 cm-1 1.25-2.50 µm, R≈240 4000-8000 cm-1 Ralph/LEISA (Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array)Infrared imaging spectrometer 256 x 256 pix, 64 microradian/pixel scanned to form 256 x 256 x n spectral image cube 4000 8000 wavenumber (cm-1) Workshop 3e zone

  8. 2.10-2.25 µm, R≈560 1.25-2.50 µm, R≈240 Ralph/LEISA (Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array)Infrared Imaging Spectrometer 256 x 256 pix, 64 microradian/pixel scanned to form 256 x 256 x n spectral image cube Workshop 3e zone

  9. Ralph/MVIC (Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera) Four Color Time Delay Integration (TDI) 5000 pix, 20 microradian/pixel 780-975 nm 860-910 nm scanned to form four 5000 x n images 540-700 nm 400-550 nm Workshop 3e zone

  10. Ralph/MVIC (Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera) Panchromatic Time Delay Integration (TDI) 5000 pix, 20 microradian/pixel scanned to form 5000 x N image 400-975 nm Workshop 3e zone

  11. 5 km Ralph/MVIC (Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera) Panchromatic Framing Array 5000 pix, 20 microradian/pixel 128 pix, 20 microradian/pixel 400-975 nm 0.6 km/pix Workshop 3e zone

  12. LORRI (LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager)High-resolution Imager 400-975 nm 1024 x 1024 pix, 5 microradian/pixel 0.1 km/pix 0.6 km/pix Workshop 3e zone

  13. Alice Ultraviolet Long-slit Spectrometer 46.5-118.1 nm. FWHM = 2.7-3.5 Å (point source), 172 Å (filled slit) 465-1181 Å. FWHM = 3-4.5 Å (point source), 9 Å (filled slit) 1024 pix (780 active), 1.8 Å/pixel "Box" "Slot"" 465-1881 Å 32 pix (30 active), 0.27°/pixel Pluto Airglow Brightness SNR Model Pluto's EUV/FUV Line-of-sight Atmospheric Opacity 104 2000 104 Model Brightness (R) Altitde (km) 10-4 10-3 0 60 180 Wavelength (nm) 60 180 Wavelength (nm) Workshop 3e zone

  14. January 19, 2006On our way! Workshop 3e zone

  15. New Horizons in Flight Ralph/MVIC Imager and IR Spectrograph Ralph pan frame Image of M7: The oddly shaped “blobs” (in rectangles) are energetic particle hits. Digitized Sky Survey image of same field: Workshop 3e zone

  16. New Horizons in FlightAlice UV Spectrometer Sky background showing Lyman-a, the shape of the box and slot, the decrease in flux in the middle of the photocathode gap from 2006 Aug 31. Workshop 3e zone

  17. 1.2° full width between 3 dB points New Horizons in Flight REX Radio Science Mapping out the High Gain Antenna (HGA) Workshop 3e zone

  18. New Horizons in Flight LORRI High Resolution Imager Workshop 3e zone

  19. New Horizons in Flight SWAP Solar Wind Analyzer Speed Changes • Compression & or Shock • Increase in temperature, velocity, & number density Day of Year (Oct 17 - Nov 17) • Solar wind speed, temperature and density variations observed. • Three instrument cycles are required for the solar wind to be observed at each energy step. This gives the appearance of the solar wind flux changing over 3 cycles. Workshop 3e zone

  20. New Horizons in FlightPEPSSI Energetic Particle Detector 10 Counts/bin (log) 1 Very good Alpha / proton separation down to 20 keV DOY 172 (June 21) – 2000V Workshop 3e zone

  21. New Horizons in FlightSDC Student Dust Counter July 14 - August 16 Workshop 3e zone

  22. New Horizons Jupiter Gravity Assist • Achieve the Pluto JGA • Serve as practice for Pluto-system encounter • Do good Jupiter science - Jovian meteorology, satellite geology and composition, auroral phenomena, and magnetospheric physics Press conference 2007 January 18 PEPSSI, LORRI (Jupiter), LEISA (Callisto), ... Jupiter closest approach 2007 February 28 31 Jupiter radii Workshop 3e zone

  23. New Horizons at Jupiter: Jupiter Meteorology and Aurorae • NIR image cubes of storm activity near the GRS • Hi-res imaging of the Little Red Spot • Global imaging of atmospheric circulation • UV stellar occultation • UV, NIR scans of polar aurorae and airglow Workshop 3e zone

  24. New Horizons at Jupiter:Galilean Satellites • Visible and NIR imaging of high-temperature volcanic thermal emission on Io • Mapping plumes and surface changes on Io • Mapping global topography on Europa • UV stellar occultations and auroral emission studies of satellite atmospheres • NIR mapping of surface composition LEISA MVIC LORRI Io atmosphere stellar occultation signature New Horizons view of Io at closest approach Workshop 3e zone

  25. New Horizons at Jupiter:Rings and Small Satellites • Search for small satellites embedded in the rings • Map ring vertical structure during ring-plane crossing • Map spatial distribution of “gossamer” rings • Determine ring particle phase function • Phase function for outer satellites Himalia, Elara Workshop 3e zone

  26. New Horizons at Jupiter:Magnetosphere • Fly down the magnetotail for the first time • Investigate plasma loss mechanisms • In-situ plasma measurements in the middle magnetosphere • Solar wind observations on approach to complement Earth-based auroral observations • High-resolution imaging spectroscopy of the Io plasma torus Workshop 3e zone

  27. New Horizons at Jupiter:Education/Public Outreach Imaging • Imaging of selected scenic alignments between bodies in the Jupiter system Workshop 3e zone

  28. Sun Earth 0.24° New Horizons at PlutoClosest Approach 2015 July 14 Charon-Earth Occultation 14:17:50 Pluto-Earth Occultation 12:49:50 Charon 13:40 Pluto 12:40 Charon-Sun Occultation 14:15:41 11:40 Pluto-Sun Occultation 12:49:00 Charon C/A 12:12:52 26,937 km 13.87 km/s • S/C trajectory time ticks: 10 min • Charon orbit time ticks: 12 hr • Occultation: center time • Position and lighting at Pluto C/A • Distance relative to body center Pluto C/A 11:59:00 11,095 km 13.77 km/s Workshop 3e zone

  29. Young et al 1999 Young et al 2001 New Horizons at Pluto:Geology and Geomorphology • Hemispheric panchromatic maps (<0.5 km/pixel) • Hemispheric color maps (<5 km/pixel) • Phase integrals (moderate and high phase angles) • Topography (stereo imaging, photoclimometry) • High-resolution terminator images • Bolometric Bond albedos (normal reflectance and photometric phase functions) Workshop 3e zone

  30. New Horizons at Pluto:Geology and Geomorphology • Hemispheric panchromatic maps • Encounter hemispheres of Pluto (MVIC) and Charon (MVIC, LORRI) at 0.5 km/pix • Maps of Pluto and Charon at 12-hour intervals from 6 days out at 36 km/pix (LORRI) • Nightside maps of Pluto in reflected Charon-light. 0.4 km/pix (MVIC), resolution depends on SNR • Hemispheric color maps (<5 km/pixel) • Redundant four-color maps of Pluto at 0.7 km/pix, of Charon at 1.4 km/pix (MVIC) • Maps of Pluto and Charon at 12-hour intervals from 6 days out at 144 km/pix (MVIC) • Phase integrals (moderate and high phase angles) • Phase studies during cruise and approach, 5-15 deg • Pluto at 9 phases 16-161° (attempt at 170°). Charon at 6 phases 18-104°. • Topography (stereo imaging, photoclimometry) • <1 km heights (at baselines of > 1000 km). <5 km heights (at baselines < 250 km) • High-resolution terminator images • Pluto: 6-10 images 38x1500 km at 0.30 km/pix (MVIC), 6-10 72x72 km images at 0.07 km/pix (LORRI). • Charon: entire hemisphere at 0.52 km/pix (MVIC), • 2-8 143x143 km images at 0.14 km/pix (LORRI). • Bolometric Bond albedos (normal reflectance and photometric phase functions) • Same dataset as phase integrals Workshop 3e zone

  31. New Horizons at Pluto:Surface Composition • Hemispheric infrared spectra (1.25-2.5 micron) • Spatial distribution of N2, CO, CH4 • Presence of other volatiles, hydrocarbons, or minerals • High spatial resolution spectral images • Map surface temperatures Grundy and Buie 2001 1998 0.8 Douté et al 1999 1995 CH4 Geometric Albedo CO N2 0.0 2.0 1.5 2.5 wavelength (micron) Workshop 3e zone

  32. New Horizons at Pluto:Surface Composition • Hemispheric infrared spectra (1.25-2.5 micron) • "Far-side" maps at < 446 km/pixel (LEISA) at l/Dl ≈ 240 (1.25-2.50 µm) and l/Dl ≈ 550 (2.10-2.25 µm) • Pluto: two maps of approach hemisphere, at 6 and 10 km/pixel (LEISA) • Charon: two maps of approach hemisphere, at 5 and 10 km/pixel (LEISA) • Spatial distribution of N2, CO, CH4 • Pure N2 at 2.15 µm, and N2:CH4 from shifts in CH4 bands at e.g., 2.2 µm • CH4, CH4:N2, or N2:CH4 at many weak and strong bands throughout Pluto's spectrum • CO at 1.58 and 2.25 µm • Presence of other volatiles, hydrocarbons, or minerals • H2O at e.g., 2.0 µm. Crystalline form at 1.65 µm • NH3 or NH3 hydrate at 2.2 µm • CO2 at 1.96 µm • C2H6 at 1.68, 2.33 µm. C2H2 at 2.45 µm, C2H4 at 2.22, 2.26 µm, CH3OH at 2.28 µm • SO2 at 2.13 µm, H2S at 1.64 µm, HCN at 1.91 µm, HC3N at 1.83 µm • Pyroxene at 1.79-2.33 µm, kaolinite-serpentine clays at 1.40 µm, Al-bearing phyllosilicates at 2.115 µm • High spatial resolution spectral images • Pluto: 824 x 333 km scan at 1.3 km/pixel • Charon: 1033 x 486 km scan at 1.9 km/pixel • Color (0.89 µm CH4 band) maps of Pluto at 0.7 km/pix, of Charon at 1.4 km/pix, and far-side at 144 km/pix (MVIC) • Map surface temperatures • Average temperature to 0.1 K at 1340 km or hemispheric averaged resolution (REX, radiometry at 4.2 cm emission) • N2 temperature to 2.0 K at 56 km resolution (LEISA, Grundy, Schmitt and Quirico 1993, Tryka, Brown and Anicich 1995) • Crystalline H2O temperature to 5 K at 40 km resolution (LEISA, Grundy et al. 1999) • Pure CH4 temperature to 6 K at 96 km resolution (LEISA, Grundy Schmitt and Quirico 2002) Workshop 3e zone

  33. New Horizons at Pluto:Atmospheres • Composition (N2, Ar, CO, CH4; H, H2, HCN, CxHy) • Pressure, temperature, temperature gradient • Hazes and clouds • Escape rate • Ionosphere • Search for atmosphere around Charon after Summers et al 1997 Young et al 2006 Workshop 3e zone

  34. New Horizons at Pluto:Atmospheres • Composition (N2, Ar, CO, CH4; H, H2, HCN, CxHy) • Solar occultations, 465-1181 Å, 3.5 Å spectral resoluton, Sun subtending 8 km (Alice) for N2, CH4, CxHy, HCN, others • Airglow observations on approach, and nightglow on departure (Alice) for Ar, CO, H, Ne, others • Stellar occultations planned, not yet identified • Pressure, temperature, temperature gradient • N2 line-of-sight number density in the upper atmsphere from solar and stellar occultation (Alice) • N2 line-of-sight number density in the lower atmsphere from uplink radio occultation, dual DSN sites (REX) • Hazes and clouds • Near-surface opacity 1800-1881 Å from solar and stellar occultation (Alice) • Low-phase imaging (MVIC, LORRI) • High-phase imaging at < 0.4 km/pixel (MVIC), sensitive to 10% of Triton's haze from surface to 80 km • Escape rate • Modelling from temperatures and pressures near 2.5 Pluto radii (Alice). • Scale height of the Lyman-a airglow for H-only escape flux (Alice) • Also SWAP and PEPSSI (next slides). • Ionosphere • Electron density from radio occultation (REX) • Search for atmosphere around Charon • Search to nbar levels with solar occultation (Alice) • Supporting radio occultaion (REX) Workshop 3e zone

  35. New Horizons at Pluto:Particles and Plasmas • Atmospheric escape rate • Solar wind interaction • Energetic particle environments • Dust enviromment McComas et al 2007 Workshop 3e zone

  36. New Horizons at Pluto:Particles and Plasmas • Atmospheric escape rate • Energetic particle flux and composition depends on escape rate (PEPSSI, SWAP) • Distance of interface with solar wind, which is proportional to escape rate (SWAP, PEPSSI) • Solar wind interaction • Bow shock, wake effects from direction, spead, and temperature of solar wind (SWAP, PEPSSI) • Energetic particle environments • Enegetic pick-up ions likely 1 million km (900 Pluto radii) upsteam of Pluto. PEPSSI and SWAP will measure direction, energy, and mass of energetic particles. • Dust enviromment • Interplanetary dust environmet, with the first dust measurements beyond 18 AU (SDC) • Immediate dust environment downstream of the Pluto system (SDC) Workshop 3e zone

  37. Canup 2005 10,000 km New Horizons at Pluto:Origin and Evolution • Orbits • Radii, mass, density • Additional rings or satellites • Magnetic field? McKinnon et al 1997 Workshop 3e zone

  38. New Horizons at Pluto:Origin and Evolution • Orbits • 150 days of resolved images of Pluto, Charon, Nix and Hydra at 15° solar phase angle (LORRI) • Radii, mass, density • Masses from orbits of Pluto and satellites around barycenter (LORRI) • Masses from the deflection of New Horizons using Doppler measurements (REX) • Radii and shapes from single 1024x1024 frames Pluto and Charon at 3 km/pixel (LORRI) • Additional shape measurements from the combination of all imaging data (LORRI, MVIC, LEISA) • Additional constraints on the radii from occultation chord lengths (Alice, REX) • Additional rings or satellites • Imaging of the entire stability zone at low phase angle (LORRI, MVIC) • High-phase observations (MVIC) • Magnetic field? • Not directly addressed by New Horizons. A strong magnetic field may affect the solar wind interaciton (SWAP, PEPSSI). Workshop 3e zone

  39. Number of accessible KBOs Based on KBO population statistics from Bernstein et al. (2004). See Spencer et al. 2003, Earth Moon and Planets 92, 483-491. Workshop 3e zone

  40. Radial Distribution of Accessible KBOs Strong peak at 42 AU, due to Intrinsic peak there Narrow cone at smaller distances Faintness of more distant KBOs Encounter likely 2018 or 2019 for 115 m/s delta-V Workshop 3e zone

  41. Search Area, Now and in 2011 • In the Milky Way at both epochs • Search area shrinks with time as it converges on the spacecraft trajectory • Defined by KBO velocity dispersion, not available delta-V 50% of KBOs85% of KBOs EncounterLocations (2015 Pluto flyby) 2004 2011 Workshop 3e zone

  42. New Horizons: Exploring the Third Zone For more information (including technical papers), see http://pluto.jhuapl.edu Workshop 3e zone

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