Color, Composition, and Thermal Environment of Kuiper Belt Object (486958) Arrokoth
Abstract
The outer Solar System object (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU) has been largely undisturbed since its formation. We study its surface composition using data collected by the New Horizons spacecraft. Methanol ice is present along with organic material, which may have formed through radiation of simple molecules. Water ice was not detected. This composition indicates hydrogenation of carbon monoxide-rich ice and/ or energetic processing of methane condensed on water ice grains in the cold, outer edge of the early Solar System. There are only small regional variations in color and spectra across the surface, suggesting Arrokoth formed from a homogeneous or well-mixed reservoir of solids. Microwave thermal emission from the winter night side is consistent with a mean brightness temperature of 295 K.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2002.06720,
title = {Color, Composition, and Thermal Environment of Kuiper Belt Object (486958) Arrokoth},
author = {W. M. Grundy and M. K. Bird and D. T. Britt and J. C. Cook and D. P. Cruikshank and C. J. A. Howett and S. Krijt and I. R. Linscott and C. B. Olkin and A. H. Parker and S. Protopapa and M. Ruaud and O. M. Umurhan and L. A. Young and C. M. Dalle Ore and J. J. Kavelaars and J. T. Keane and Y. J. Pendleton and S. B. Porter and F. Scipioni and J. R. Spencer and S. A. Stern and A. J. Verbiscer and H. A. Weaver and R. P. Binzel and M. W. Buie and B. J. Buratti and A. Cheng and A. M. Earle and H. A. Elliott and L. Gabasova and G. R. Gladstone and M. E. Hill and M. Horanyi and D. E. Jennings and A. W. Lunsford and D. J. McComas and W. B. McKinnon and R. L. McNutt and J. M. Moore and J. W. Parker and E. Quirico and D. C. Reuter and P. M. Schenk and B. Schmitt and M. R. Showalter and K. N. Singer and G. E. Weigle and A. M. Zangari},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2002.06720},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
31 pages, 8 figures