Volatile Transport in the Pluto-Charon System
When
Where
Dr. Jason Hofgartner
NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The exploration of the Pluto-Charon system by the New Horizons spacecraft yielded a wealth of data about the distribution of volatiles in the system. Among the most exciting discoveries is the extent of recent and ongoing geologic activity that is now thought to be powered by both endogenic and exogenic sources. Albedo maps of the illuminated regions of both Pluto and Charon were generated from approach images. These albedo maps provide insight into the present distribution and transport of volatiles in the system. Extrapolating the correlation between high albedo and young surfaces to the Kuiper Belt Object, Eris, suggests that it may also be currently active and undergoing extensive resurfacing. A search for short-term temporal changes on the surfaces of Pluto and Charon caused by continuing geologic processes was conducted using high-resolution encounter images.