The interiors of Pluto and Charon: Structure, composition, and implications

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL016i011p01209· OSTI ID:5833177

Simonelli, D P ^[1]; Reynolds, R T ^[2]

---

1. NASA Ames Research Center, IA (USA) Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA)
2. NASA Ames Research Center, IA (USA)

The authors review recent models of the internal structure of Pluto and Charon made possible by analysis of the Pluto/Charon mutual events. At a mean density of just over 2 g cm{sup {minus}3} and a predicted rock mass fraction of roughly 0.7, the Pluto/Charon system is significantly rockier than the icy satellites of the giant planets, a contrast which may reflect its formation in a CO-rich outer solar nebula rather than a circumplanetary nebula. Pluto and Charon may in fact be so rocky that they lost volatiles early in their history (possibly during a Charon-forming impact event), although this is still an open issue. Finally, they review the outlook for future study of the Pluto and Charon interiors.

• OSTI ID: 5833177
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Vol. 16:11; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
PLUTO PLANET
MORPHOLOGY
SATELLITES
DATA ANALYSIS
DENSITY
ICE
MASS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANETARY EVOLUTION
ROCKS
SOLAR NEBULA
VOLATILE MATTER
MATTER
NEBULAE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena