研究人员在相同的初始条件和易变清单基础上，但已知的每个物体的轨道和旋转，呈现出冥王星和海卫一的长期不稳定性传输模拟。该模型重现了冥王星和海卫一上观测到的挥发性冰表面分布。
研究结果显示，倾角是冥王星和海卫一表面外观和气候特性差异的主要驱动因素，并进一步支持了这两个物体有共同起源，但有不同动力历史的假设。
据介绍，海卫一和冥王星被认为有着共同的起源，它们最初都是在柯伊伯带形成的，但海卫一后来被海王星捕获。这两个天体显示出相似的大小、密度、大气和表面冰组成，存在挥发性冰N2、CH4和CO。然而它们的外观，包括它们的表面反照率和冰分布有很大的不同。
那么如何解释这些不同的现象呢？第一个差异是，由于海卫一绕海王星运行，它经历了显著显的潮汐加热，随后重新浮出表面，表面相对平坦，而冥王星没有潮汐活动，具有明显的地形。
附：英文原文
Title: How obliquity has differently shaped Pluto’s and Triton’s landscapes and climates
Author: Bertrand, Tanguy, Forget, Franois, Lellouch, Emmanuel
Issue&Volume: 2024-8-12
Abstract: Triton and Pluto are believed to share a common origin, both forming initially in the Kuiper Belt but Triton being later captured by Neptune. Both objects display similar sizes, densities, and atmospheric and surface ice composition, with the presence of volatile ices N2, CH4, and CO. Yet their appearance, including their surface albedo and ice distribution strongly differ. What can explain these different appearances A first disparity is that Triton is experiencing significant tidal heating due to its orbit around Neptune, with subsequent resurfacing and a relatively flat surface, while Pluto is not tidally activated and displays a pronounced topography. Here we present long-term volatile transport simulations of Pluto and Triton, using the same initial conditions and volatile inventory, but with the known orbit and rotation of each object. The model reproduces, to first order, the observed volatile ice surface distribution on Pluto and Triton. Our results unambiguously demonstrate that obliquity is the main driver of the differences in surface appearance and in climate properties on Pluto and Triton, and give further support to the hypothesis that both objects had a common origin followed by a different dynamical history.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2408226121
Source: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2408226121