Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1774455 | Icarus | 2009 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
We apply scintillation theory to stellar signal fluctuations in the high-resolution, high signal/noise, dual-wavelength data from the MMT observation of the 2007 March 18 occultation of P445.3 by Pluto. A well-defined high wavenumber cutoff in the fluctuations is consistent with viscous-thermal dissipation of buoyancy waves (internal gravity waves) in Pluto's high atmosphere, and provides strong evidence that the underlying density fluctuations are governed by the gravity-wave dispersion relation.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
W.B. Hubbard, D.W. McCarthy, C.A. Kulesa, S.D. Benecchi, M.J. Person, J.L. Elliot, A.A.S. Gulbis,