Formation of the Sputnik Planum basin and the thickness of Pluto's subsurface ocean
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Abstract
Abstract We simulate the formation of the large elliptical impact basin associated with Pluto's Sputnik Planum (SP; informal name). The location of SP suggests that it represents a large positive mass anomaly. To find the conditions necessary for SP to have a positive mass anomaly, we consider impacts into targets with a range of thermal states and ocean thicknesses. Assuming the basin evolves to its current‐day configuration, we calculate the mass and gravity anomalies associated with SP. We find that SP can only achieve a large positive mass anomaly if Pluto has a more than 100 km thick salty ocean. This conclusion may help us better understand the composition and thermal evolution of Pluto. Furthermore, our work supports the hypothesis that SP basin has an impact origin.