The Pluto-Charon system - The escape of Charon's primordial atmosphere

by: Trafton, L.; Stern, S. A.; Gladstone, G. R.

ABSTRACT

Although Charon seems to have lost its atmosphere and surface volatiles,
a lack of heating that would be sufficient to generate melting and conse-
quent separation of the lighter and heavier nonvolatiles has probably
resulted in the outer layers' retention of the primordial mix of nonvola-
tiles. Spectroscopically-determined relative abundances for the Charon
surface should accordingly be representative of its entire mass, and there-
by constitutes the basis of an understanding of Charon's origin. The study
of Charon's exposed nonvolatile ices may ascertain whether the Pluto-Charon
system condensed out of the solar nebula directly or from a protoplanetary
nebula.

Icarus, ISSN 0019-1035, vol. 74, April 1988, p. 108-120.