HR: 0830h
AN: P51B-0443    [PDF]
TI: Photometric Evidence for Volatile Transport on Triton
AU: * Herbert, B D
EM: bdh24@cornell.edu
AF: Cornell University, C/O Diane Bollen 426 Space Science Building Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 United States
AU: Buratti, B
EM: bburatti@scn.jpl.nasa.gov
AF: JPL, 4800 Oak Grove Drive Mailstop 183-501, Pasadena, CA 91109 United States
AU: Schmidt, B
EM: britneys@email.arizona.edu
AF: University of Arizona, C/O Robert Brown Space Sciences 421 University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 United States
AU: Bauer, J
EM: bauer@scn.jpl.nasa.gov
AF: JPL, 4800 Oak Grove Drive Mailstop 183-501, Pasadena, CA 91109 United States
AB: Past observations of Neptune's moon Triton reveal that its surface is exhibiting both long and short term variability in color relative to baseline data gathered in the 1989 Voyager 2 flyby. These changes are likely due to the seasonal sublimation and deposition of Nitrogen frost and other volatiles (Buratti et al. 1994). Photometric light curves provide an additional verification that volatile transport is occurring on Triton. Steady state models, based on Voyager data and the assumption that Triton's surface is not changing, suggest a visual light curve amplitude of less than 0.05 magnitudes (Hillier et al.1991). Measurements taken in July 2000, however, indicated an amplitude of nearly 0.20 magnitudes (Cobb et al. 2001). Follow-up photometric observations in B,V,R,I broadband filters and an 890nm narrow band filter, covering a broader range in sub-Earth longitudes, were taken in June, July, and August 2003. They indicate a visual amplitude of 0.17 +/- 0.05 magnitudes, in close agreement with the 2001 data. These amplitudes are far larger than expected and may imply substantial volatile transport on Triton's surface. In addition, we observed a larger than expected opposition surge that demands further investigation.
DE: 6260 Neptunian satellites
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting