Energy is an issue for theories of life on Pluto. The sun is incredibly faint, irradiance of 1/1600th that on Earth, so photosynthesis likely isn’t feasible.
Pluto is quite small, and therefore almost certainly is geologically dead (no molten core - the heat has already escaped) like Mars - so thermal vents are also unlikely to be widespread.
Pluto has a low density for a rocky world, about 50% less than the moon, so the heavier radioactive elements cannot be present in large amounts (as would be predicted from its position high up in the system’s gravity well).
So, with poor prospects for photosynthesis, poor prospects for geothermal energy availability, and poor prospects for radioactive decay - where would simple Cthonian lifeforms get their energy from?
Energy is an issue for theories of life on Pluto. The sun is incredibly faint, irradiance of 1/1600th that on Earth, so photosynthesis likely isn’t feasible.
Pluto is quite small, and therefore almost certainly is geologically dead (no molten core - the heat has already escaped) like Mars - so thermal vents are also unlikely to be widespread.
Pluto has a low density for a rocky world, about 50% less than the moon, so the heavier radioactive elements cannot be present in large amounts (as would be predicted from its position high up in the system’s gravity well).
So, with poor prospects for photosynthesis, poor prospects for geothermal energy availability, and poor prospects for radioactive decay - where would simple Cthonian lifeforms get their energy from?