Pluto's interaction with its space environment: Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust

F. Bagenal; M. Horányi; D. J. McComas; R. L. McNutt; H. A. Elliott; M. E. Hill; L. E. Brown; P. A. Delamere; P. Kollmann; S. M. Krimigis; M. Kusterer; C. M. Lisse; D. G. Mitchell; M. Piquette; A. R. Poppe; D. F. Strobel; J. R. Szalay; P. Valek; J. Vandegriff; S. Weidner; E. J. Zirnstein; S. A. Stern; K. Ennico; C. B. Olkin; H. A. Weaver; L. A. Young

doi:10.1126/science.aad9045

Pluto's interaction with its space environment: Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust

F. Bagenal, M. Horányi, D. J. McComas, R. L. McNutt, H. A. Elliott, M. E. Hill, L. E. Brown, P. A. Delamere, P. Kollmann, S. M. Krimigis, M. Kusterer, C. M. Lisse, D. G. Mitchell, M. Piquette, A. R. Poppe, D. F. Strobel, J. R. Szalay, P. Valek, J. Vandegriff, S. WeidnerE. J. Zirnstein, S. A. Stern, K. Ennico, C. B. Olkin, H. A. Weaver, L. A. Young

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

The New Horizons spacecraft carried three instruments that measured the space environment near Pluto as it flew by on 14 July 2015. The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument revealed an interaction region confined sunward of Pluto to within about 6 Pluto radii. The region's surprisingly small size is consistent with a reduced atmospheric escape rate, as well as a particularly high solar wind flux. Observations from the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) instrument suggest that ions are accelerated and/or deflected around Pluto. In the wake of the interaction region, PEPSSI observed suprathermal particle fluxes equal to about 1/10 of the flux in the interplanetary medium and increasing with distance downstream. The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter, which measures grains with radii larger than 1.4 micrometers, detected one candidate impact in ±5 days around New Horizons' closest approach, indicating an upper limit of <4.6 kilometers^-3 for the dust density in the Pluto system.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	eaad9045
Journal	Science
Volume	351
Issue number	6279
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad9045
State	Published - Mar 18 2016
Externally published	Yes

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Bagenal, F., Horányi, M., McComas, D. J., McNutt, R. L., Elliott, H. A., Hill, M. E., Brown, L. E., Delamere, P. A., Kollmann, P., Krimigis, S. M., Kusterer, M., Lisse, C. M., Mitchell, D. G., Piquette, M., Poppe, A. R., Strobel, D. F., Szalay, J. R., Valek, P., Vandegriff, J., ... Young, L. A. (2016). Pluto's interaction with its space environment: Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust. Science, 351(6279), Article eaad9045. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad9045

@article{6616d461f009426aae206aed5c4fef9a,

title = "Pluto's interaction with its space environment: Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust",

abstract = "The New Horizons spacecraft carried three instruments that measured the space environment near Pluto as it flew by on 14 July 2015. The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument revealed an interaction region confined sunward of Pluto to within about 6 Pluto radii. The region's surprisingly small size is consistent with a reduced atmospheric escape rate, as well as a particularly high solar wind flux. Observations from the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) instrument suggest that ions are accelerated and/or deflected around Pluto. In the wake of the interaction region, PEPSSI observed suprathermal particle fluxes equal to about 1/10 of the flux in the interplanetary medium and increasing with distance downstream. The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter, which measures grains with radii larger than 1.4 micrometers, detected one candidate impact in ±5 days around New Horizons' closest approach, indicating an upper limit of <4.6 kilometers-3 for the dust density in the Pluto system.",

author = "F. Bagenal and M. Hor{\'a}nyi and McComas, {D. J.} and McNutt, {R. L.} and Elliott, {H. A.} and Hill, {M. E.} and Brown, {L. E.} and Delamere, {P. A.} and P. Kollmann and Krimigis, {S. M.} and M. Kusterer and Lisse, {C. M.} and Mitchell, {D. G.} and M. Piquette and Poppe, {A. R.} and Strobel, {D. F.} and Szalay, {J. R.} and P. Valek and J. Vandegriff and S. Weidner and Zirnstein, {E. J.} and Stern, {S. A.} and K. Ennico and Olkin, {C. B.} and Weaver, {H. A.} and Young, {L. A.}",

year = "2016",

month = mar,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1126/science.aad9045",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "351",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6279",

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Bagenal, F, Horányi, M, McComas, DJ, McNutt, RL, Elliott, HA, Hill, ME, Brown, LE, Delamere, PA, Kollmann, P, Krimigis, SM, Kusterer, M, Lisse, CM, Mitchell, DG, Piquette, M, Poppe, AR, Strobel, DF, Szalay, JR, Valek, P, Vandegriff, J, Weidner, S, Zirnstein, EJ, Stern, SA, Ennico, K, Olkin, CB, Weaver, HA & Young, LA 2016, 'Pluto's interaction with its space environment: Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust', Science, vol. 351, no. 6279, eaad9045. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad9045

TY - JOUR

T1 - Pluto's interaction with its space environment

T2 - Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust

AU - Bagenal, F.

AU - Horányi, M.

AU - McComas, D. J.

AU - McNutt, R. L.

AU - Elliott, H. A.

AU - Hill, M. E.

AU - Brown, L. E.

AU - Delamere, P. A.

AU - Kollmann, P.

AU - Krimigis, S. M.

AU - Kusterer, M.

AU - Lisse, C. M.

AU - Mitchell, D. G.

AU - Piquette, M.

AU - Poppe, A. R.

AU - Strobel, D. F.

AU - Szalay, J. R.

AU - Valek, P.

AU - Vandegriff, J.

AU - Weidner, S.

AU - Zirnstein, E. J.

AU - Stern, S. A.

AU - Ennico, K.

AU - Olkin, C. B.

AU - Weaver, H. A.

AU - Young, L. A.

PY - 2016/3/18

Y1 - 2016/3/18

N2 - The New Horizons spacecraft carried three instruments that measured the space environment near Pluto as it flew by on 14 July 2015. The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument revealed an interaction region confined sunward of Pluto to within about 6 Pluto radii. The region's surprisingly small size is consistent with a reduced atmospheric escape rate, as well as a particularly high solar wind flux. Observations from the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) instrument suggest that ions are accelerated and/or deflected around Pluto. In the wake of the interaction region, PEPSSI observed suprathermal particle fluxes equal to about 1/10 of the flux in the interplanetary medium and increasing with distance downstream. The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter, which measures grains with radii larger than 1.4 micrometers, detected one candidate impact in ±5 days around New Horizons' closest approach, indicating an upper limit of <4.6 kilometers-3 for the dust density in the Pluto system.

AB - The New Horizons spacecraft carried three instruments that measured the space environment near Pluto as it flew by on 14 July 2015. The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument revealed an interaction region confined sunward of Pluto to within about 6 Pluto radii. The region's surprisingly small size is consistent with a reduced atmospheric escape rate, as well as a particularly high solar wind flux. Observations from the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) instrument suggest that ions are accelerated and/or deflected around Pluto. In the wake of the interaction region, PEPSSI observed suprathermal particle fluxes equal to about 1/10 of the flux in the interplanetary medium and increasing with distance downstream. The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter, which measures grains with radii larger than 1.4 micrometers, detected one candidate impact in ±5 days around New Horizons' closest approach, indicating an upper limit of <4.6 kilometers-3 for the dust density in the Pluto system.

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U2 - 10.1126/science.aad9045

DO - 10.1126/science.aad9045

M3 - Article

C2 - 26989259

AN - SCOPUS:84961741781

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 351

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6279

M1 - eaad9045

ER -

Pluto's interaction with its space environment: Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust

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