Isotopic constraints on the source of Pluto’s nitrogen and the history of atmospheric escape

The origin and evolution of nitrogen in solar system bodies is an important question for understanding processes that took place during the formation of the planets and solar system bodies. Pluto has an atmosphere that is 99% molecular nitrogen, but it is unclear if this nitrogen is primordial or derived from ammonia in the protosolar nebula. The nitrogen isotope ratio is an important tracer of the origin of nitrogen on solar system bodies, and can be used at Pluto to determine the origin of its nitrogen. After evaluating the potential impact of escape and photochemistry on Pluto’s nitrogen isotope ratio ((14)N/(15)N), we find that if Pluto’s nitrogen originated as N(2) the current ratio in Pluto’s atmosphere would be greater than 324 while it would be less than 157 if the source of Pluto’s nitrogen were NH(3). The New Horizons spacecraft successfully visited the Pluto system in July 2015 providing a potential opportunity to measure (14)N/(15)N in N(2).