88 research outputs found
(47171) 1999 TC36, A Transneptunian Triple
We present new analysis of HST images of (47171) 1999 TC36 that confirm it as
a triple system. Fits to the point-spread function consistently show that the
apparent primary is itself composed of two similar-sized components. The two
central components, A1 and A2, can be consistently identified in each of nine
epochs spread over seven years of time. In each instance the component
separation, ranging from 0.023+/-0.002 to 0.031+/-0.003 arcsec, is roughly one
half of the Hubble Space Telescope's diffraction limit at 606 nm. The orbit of
the central pair has a semi-major axis of a~867 km with a period of P~1.9 days.
These orbital parameters yield a system mass that is consistent with Msys =
12.75+/-0.06 10^18 kg derived from the orbit of the more distant secondary,
component B. The diameters of the three components are dA1= 286(+45,-38) km,
dA2= 265(+41,-35 km and dB= 139(+22,-18) km. The relative sizes of these
components are more similar than in any other known multiple in the solar
system. Taken together, the diameters and system mass yield a bulk density of
p=542(+317,-211) kg m^-3. HST Photometry shows that component B is variable
with an amplitude of >=0.17+/-0.05 magnitudes. Components A1 and A2 do not show
variability larger than 0.08+/-0.03 magnitudes approximately consistent with
the orientation of the mutual orbit plane and tidally-distorted equilibrium
shapes. The system has high specific angular momentum of J/J'=0.93, comparable
to most of the known Transneptunian binaries.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, 6 tables. Accepted to Icaru
Mutual Events in the Cold Classical Transneptunian Binary System Sila and Nunam
Hubble Space Telescope observations between 2001 and 2010 resolved the binary
components of the Cold Classical transneptunian object (79360) Sila-Nunam
(provisionally designated 1997 CS29). From these observations we have
determined the circular, retrograde mutual orbit of Nunam relative to Sila with
a period of 12.50995 \pm 0.00036 days and a semimajor axis of 2777 \pm 19 km. A
multi-year season of mutual events, in which the two near-equal brightness
bodies alternate in passing in front of one another as seen from Earth, is in
progress right now, and on 2011 Feb. 1 UT, one such event was observed from two
different telescopes. The mutual event season offers a rich opportunity to
learn much more about this barely-resolvable binary system, potentially
including component sizes, colors, shapes, and albedo patterns. The low
eccentricity of the orbit and a photometric lightcurve that appears to coincide
with the orbital period are consistent with a system that is tidally locked and
synchronized, like the Pluto-Charon system. The orbital period and semimajor
axis imply a system mass of (10.84 \pm 0.22) \times 10^18 kg, which can be
combined with a size estimate based on Spitzer and Herschel thermal infrared
observations to infer an average bulk density of 0.72 +0.37 -0.23 g cm^-3,
comparable to the very low bulk densities estimated for small transneptunian
binaries of other dynamical classes.Comment: In press in Icaru
Remote Sensing D/H Ratios in Methane Ice: Temperature-Dependent Absorption Coefficients of CH3D in Methane Ice and in Nitrogen Ice
The existence of strong absorption bands of singly deuterated methane (CH3D)
at wavelengths where normal methane (CH4) absorbs comparatively weakly could
enable remote measurement of D/H ratios in methane ice on outer solar system
bodies. We performed laboratory transmission spectroscopy experiments,
recording spectra at wavelengths from 1 to 6 \mum to study CH3D bands at 2.47,
2.87, and 4.56 \mum, wavelengths where ordinary methane absorption is weak. We
report temperature-dependent absorption coefficients of these bands when the
CH3D is diluted in CH4 ice and also when it is dissolved in N2 ice, and
describe how these absorption coefficients can be combined with data from the
literature to simulate arbitrary D/H ratio absorption coefficients for CH4 ice
and for CH4 in N2 ice. We anticipate these results motivating new telescopic
observations to measure D/H ratios in CH4 ice on Triton, Pluto, Eris, and
Makemake.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
Overview of the New Horizons Science Payload
The New Horizons mission was launched on 2006 January 19, and the spacecraft
is heading for a flyby encounter with the Pluto system in the summer of 2015.
The challenges associated with sending a spacecraft to Pluto in less than 10
years and performing an ambitious suite of scientific investigations at such
large heliocentric distances (> 32 AU) are formidable and required the
development of lightweight, low power, and highly sensitive instruments. This
paper provides an overview of the New Horizons science payload, which is
comprised of seven instruments. Alice provides spatially resolved ultraviolet
spectroscopy. The Ralph instrument has two components: the Multicolor Visible
Imaging Camera (MVIC), which performs panchromatic and color imaging, and the
Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA), which provides near-infrared
spectroscopic mapping capabilities. The Radio Experiment (REX) is a component
of the New Horizons telecommunications system that provides both occultation
and radiometry capabilities. The Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI)
provides high sensitivity, high spatial resolution optical imaging
capabilities. The Solar Wind at Pluto (SWAP) instrument measures the density
and speed of solar wind particles. The Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer
Science Investigation (PEPSSI) measures energetic protons and CNO ions. The
Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (VB-SDC) is used to record dust particle
impacts during the cruise phases of the mission.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; To appear in a special volume of Space
Science Reviews on the New Horizons missio
The Correlated Colors of Transneptunian Binaries
We report resolved photometry of the primary and secondary components of 23
transneptunian binaries obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. V-I colors of
the components range from 0.7 to 1.5 with a median uncertainty of 0.06
magnitudes. The colors of the primaries and secondaries are correlated with a
Spearman rank correlation probability of 99.99991%, 5 sigma for a normal
distribution. Fits to the primary vs. secondary colors are identical to within
measurement uncertainties. The color range of binaries as a group is
indistinguishable from that of the larger population of apparently single
transneptunian objects. Whatever mechanism produced the colors of apparently
single TNOs acted equally on binary systems. The most likely explanation is
that the colors of transneptunian objects and binaries alike are primordial and
indicative of their origin in a locally homogeneous, globally heterogeneous
protoplanetary disk.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figure, 4 tables. accepted to Icaru
Near-Infrared Spectral Monitoring of Triton with IRTF/SpeX II: Spatial Distribution and Evolution of Ices
This report arises from an ongoing program to monitor Neptune's largest moon
Triton spectroscopically in the 0.8 to 2.4 micron range using IRTF/SpeX. Our
objective is to search for changes on Triton's surface as witnessed by changes
in the infrared absorption bands of its surface ices N2, CH4, H2O, CO, and CO2.
We have recorded infrared spectra of Triton on 53 nights over the ten
apparitions from 2000 through 2009. The data generally confirm our previously
reported diurnal spectral variations of the ice absorption bands (Grundy &
Young 2004). Nitrogen ice shows a large amplitude variation, with much stronger
absorption on Triton's Neptune-facing hemisphere. We present evidence for
seasonal evolution of Triton's N2 ice: the 2.15 micron absorption band appears
to be diminishing, especially on the Neptune-facing hemisphere. Although it is
mostly dissolved in N2 ice, Triton's CH4 ice shows a very different
longitudinal variation from the N2 ice, challenging assumptions of how the two
ices behave. Unlike Triton's CH4 ice, the CO ice does exhibit longitudinal
variation very similar to the N2 ice, implying that CO and N2 condense and
sublimate together, maintaining a consistent mixing ratio. Absorptions by H2O
and CO2 ices show negligible variation as Triton rotates, implying very uniform
and/or high latitude spatial distributions for those two non-volatile ices.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables, to appear in Icaru
Ralph: A Visible/Infrared Imager for the New Horizons Pluto/Kuiper Belt Mission
The New Horizons instrument named Ralph is a visible/near infrared
multi-spectral imager and a short wavelength infrared spectral imager. It is
one of the core instruments on New Horizons, NASA's first mission to the
Pluto/Charon system and the Kuiper Belt. Ralph combines panchromatic and color
imaging capabilities with IR imaging spectroscopy. Its primary purpose is to
map the surface geology and composition of these objects, but it will also be
used for atmospheric studies and to map the surface temperature. It is a
compact, low-mass (10.5 kg), power efficient (7.1 W peak), and robust
instrument with good sensitivity and excellent imaging characteristics. Other
than a door opened once in flight, it has no moving parts. These
characteristics and its high degree of redundancy make Ralph ideally suited to
this long-duration flyby reconnaissance mission.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables; To appear in a special volume of
Space Science Reviews on the New Horizons missio
Optical Constants of Ices Important to Planetary Science From Laboratory Reflectance Spectroscopy
Laboratory-derived optical constants are essential for identifying ices and measuring their relative abundances on Solar System objects. Almost all optical constants of ices important to planetary science come from experiments with transmission geometries. Here, we describe our new experimental setup and the modification of an iterative algorithm in the literature to measure the optical constants of ices from experiments with reflectance geometries. We apply our techniques to CH4 ice and H2O ice samples and find good agreement between our values and those in the literature, except for one CH4 band in the literature that likely suffers from saturation. The work we present here demonstrates that labs with reflectance geometries can generate optical constants essential for the proper analysis of near- and mid-infrared spectra of outer Solar System objects such as those obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope
Optical Constants of Ices Important to Planetary Science From Laboratory Reflectance Spectroscopy
Laboratory-derived optical constants are essential for identifying ices and measuring their relative abundances on Solar System objects. Almost all optical constants of ices important to planetary science come from experiments with transmission geometries. Here, we describe our new experimental setup and the modification of an iterative algorithm in the literature to measure the optical constants of ices from experiments with reflectance geometries. We apply our techniques to CH4 ice and H2O ice samples and find good agreement between our values and those in the literature, except for one CH4 band in the literature that likely suffers from saturation. The work we present here demonstrates that labs with reflectance geometries can generate optical constants essential for the proper analysis of near- and mid-infrared spectra of outer Solar System objects such as those obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope
The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth
The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, are primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. The New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36 km long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (2014 MU69), in January 2019. Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters diameter) within a radius of 8000 km, and has a lightly-cratered smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism
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