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Water Ice on TritonWe report the spectroscopic detection of H2O ice on Triton, evidenced by the broad absorptions in the near infrared at 1.55 and 2.04 micron. The detection on Triton confirms earlier preliminary studies (D. P. Cruikshank, R. H. Brown, and R. N. Clark, Icarus 58, 293-305, 1984). The spectra support the contention that H2O ice on Triton is in a crystalline (cubic or hexagonal) phase. Our spectra (1.87-2.5 micron) taken over an interval of nearly 3.5 years do not show any significant changes that might relate to reports of changes in Triton's spectral reflectance (B. Buratti, M. D. Hicks, and R. L. Newburn, Jr., Nature 397, 219, 1999), or in Triton's volatile inventory (J. L. Elliot et al., Nature 393, 765-767, 1998).
Document ID
20000083969
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Cruikshank, Dale P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Roush, Ted L.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Owen, Tobias C.
(Hawaii Univ. Honolulu, HI United States)
Schmitt, Bernard
(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Grenoble, France)
Quirico, Eric
(Paris XI Univ. Orsay, France)
Geballe, Thomas R.
(Gemini Observatory Hilo, HI United States)
deBergh, Catherine
(Observatoire de Paris-Meudon France)
Bartholomew, Mary Jane
(Sterling Software, Inc. United States)
DalleOre, Cristina M.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Doute, Sylvain
(California Univ. Los Angeles, CA United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 344-32-20-01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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