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Historical photometric evidence for volatile migration on TritonAnalysis of CCD images of Triton obtained with the 1.5-m telescope on Palomar Mountain shows that in the time period surrounding the Voyager 2 encounter with the satellite (1985-1990), no changes in the satellite's visual albedo or color occurred. The published observations of Triton in the 0.35- to 0.60-micrometer spectral region obtained between 1950 and 1990 were reanalyzed to detect historical variability in both its albedo and visual color. Analysis of the photometry indicates that there is little, if any, change in Triton's visual geometric albedo. This result is consistent with the albedo pattern observed by Voyager and the change in sub-Earth latitude. Two distinct types of color changes are evident: a significant secular increase in the blue region of the visual spectrum since at least the 1950s, and the reported dramatic reddening of Triton's spectrum in the late 1970s. The latter change can be explained only by a short-lived geological phenomenon. Triton's changing pole orientation with respect to a terrestrial observer cannot explain the secular color changes. These changes imply volatile transport on a global scale on Triton's surface during the past 4 decades. We present two models which show that either removal of a red volatile from Triton's polar cap or deposition of a blue volatile in the equatorial regions can explain the secular color changes. A third possibility is that the changes are the result of the alpha-beta phase transition of nitrogen and subsequent fracturing of the polar cap region (N. S. Duxbury and R. H. Brown (1993).
Document ID
19950046559
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Buratti, Bonnie J.
(Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA United States)
Goguen, Jay D.
(Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA United States)
Gibson, James
(Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA United States)
Mosher, Joel
(Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Icarus
Volume: 110
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0019-1035
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
95A78158
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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