The Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI) on the New Horizons Mission
Ralph L. McNutt, Jr., Stefano A. Livi, Reid S. Gurnee, Matthew E., Hill, Kim A. Cooper, G. Bruce Andrews, Edwin P. Keath, Stamatios M. Krimigis,, Donald G. Mitchell, Barry Tossman, Fran Bagenal, John D. Boldt, Walter, Bradley, William S. Devereux, George C. Ho

TL;DR
PEPSSI on New Horizons measures energetic particles around Pluto to analyze its atmosphere, ionosphere, and space environment, providing insights into atmospheric escape and interactions with the solar wind.
Contribution
This paper introduces the PEPSSI instrument, detailing its design, development, and capabilities for measuring energetic particles around Pluto during the New Horizons mission.
Findings
Characterized Pluto's neutral atmosphere and escape rate.
Measured energetic particle environment of Pluto and Charon.
Assessed solar wind interaction with Pluto's system.
Abstract
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…
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