2007/09/27 by Ralph L. McNutt, Jr., R. L. McNutt, Stefano A. Livi +41 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Nuclear Physics and Applications #Planetary Science and Exploration #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9436-y
published as Space Sci.Rev.140:315-385,2008; Erratum-ibid.145:381,2009 · 107 pages, 38 figures, 29 tables; To appear in a special volume of Space Science Reviews on the New Horizons mission
arxiv created 2007/09/27 · openalex publication_date 2008/10/01 · arxiv updated 2012/08/27 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) comprises the hardware and accompanying science investigation on the New Horizons spacecraft to measure pick-up ions from Pluto’s outgassing atmosphere. To the extent that Pluto retains its characteristics similar to those of a “heavy comet” as detected in stellar occultations since the early 1980s, these measurements will characterize the neutral atmosphere of Pluto while providing a consistency check on the atmospheric escape rate at the encounter epoch with that deduced from the atmospheric structure at lower altitudes by the ALICE, REX, and SWAP experiments on New Horizons. In addition, PEPSSI will characterize any extended ionosphere and solar wind interaction while also characterizing the energetic particle environment of Pluto, Charon, and their associated system. First proposed for development for the Pluto Express mission in September 1993, what became the PEPSSI instrument went through a number of development stages to meet the requirements of such an instrument for a mission to Pluto while minimizing the required spacecraft resources. The PEPSSI instrument provides for measurements of ions (with compositional information) and electrons from 10 s of keV to ∼1 MeV in a 160°×12° fan-shaped beam in six sectors for 1.5 kg and ∼2.5 W.