activity
19992022
most citedThe Pluto system: Initial results from its exploration by New Horizons

485 citations · 2.6k across the 29 of their papers we have counts for

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Showing 2019Show all

6 papers · 1 filter

astro-ph.EP2019★ 136 cited

Reorientation of Sputnik Planitia implies a Subsurface Ocean on Pluto

F. Nimmo, D. P. Hamilton, W. B. McKinnon P. M. Schenk +60

The deep nitrogen-covered Sputnik Planitia (SP; informal name) basin on Pluto is located very close to the longitude of Pluto's tidal axis[1] and may be an impact feature [2], by a…

astro-ph.EP2019★ 124 cited

Convection in a volatile nitrogen-ice-rich layer drives Pluto's geological vigor

William B. McKinnon, Francis Nimmo, Teresa Wong +61

The vast, deep, volatile-ice-filled basin informally named Sputnik Planum is central to Pluto's geological activity[1,2]. Composed of molecular nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxi…

astro-ph.EP2019★ 61 cited

Pluto's Haze as a Surface Material

W. M. Grundy, T. Bertrand, R. P. Binzel +37

Pluto's atmospheric haze settles out rapidly compared with geological timescales. It needs to be accounted for as a surface material, distinct from Pluto's icy bedrock and from the…

astro-ph.EP2019★ 155 cited

Impact Craters on Pluto and Charon Indicate a Deficit of Small Kuiper Belt Objects

K. N. Singer, W. B. McKinnon, B. Gladman +20

The flyby of Pluto and Charon by the New Horizons spacecraft provided high-resolution images of cratered surfaces embedded in the Kuiper belt, an extensive region of bodies orbitin…

astro-ph.EP2019★ 7 cited

Overview of initial results from the reconnaissance flyby of a Kuiper Belt planetesimal: 2014 MU69

S. A. Stern, J. R. Spencer, H. A. Weaver +11

The centerpiece objective of the NASA New Horizons first Kuiper Extended Mission (KEM-1) was the close flyby of the Kuiper Belt Object KBO) 2014 MU69, nicknamed Ultima Thule. On 1…

astro-ph.EP2019★ 33 cited

Crater Density Predictions for New Horizons flyby target 2014 MU69

Sarah Greenstreet, Brett Gladman, William McKinnon +2

In preparation for the Jan 1/2019 encounter between the New Horizons spacecraft and the Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, we provide estimates of the expected impact crater surface den…