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Lacis, A.A., and J.D. Fix, 1972: An analysis of the light curve of Pluto. Astrophys. J., 174, 449-453.
The light curve of Pluto is analyzed in terms of a geometrical model consisting of bright and dark areas which are assumed to exhibit either a diffuse or a geometric type of reflectivity. A Fourier analysis method is used to invert the observed light curve to obtain the longitudinal distribution of bright and dark areas for any combination of albedos selected for the two types of terrain. The analysis indicates that the light curve of Pluto can be readily understood in terms of a surface consisting of bright and dark areas. However, on the basis of the presently available photometric data, the existence or absence of limb-darkened material cannot be established.
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