Related papers: Detection of methane on Kuiper Belt Object (50000)…
Quasar spectra reveal a rich array of important astrophysical information about galaxies which intersect the quasar line of sight. They also enable tests of the variability of fundamental constants over cosmological time and…
The ionizing spectral energy distribution of quasars exhibits a steepening of the distribution shortward of ~ 1200 A. The change of the power-law index from approximately -1 (near-UV) to -2 (far-UV) has so far been interpreted as being…
The spatial distribution of the tropospheric methane on Titan was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy. Ground-based observations at 1.5$\mu{\rm m}$ (H-band) were performed during the same night using instruments with adaptive optics…
Using high resolution UVES spectra of the eclipsing Post Common Envelope Binary QS Vir we detect material along the line of sight to the white dwarf at orbital phase $\phi=0.16$. We ascribe this to a stellar prominence originating from the…
We present three near-infrared spectra of Pluto taken with the IRTF and SpeX, an optical spectrum of Triton taken with the MMT and the Red Channel Spectrograph, and previously published spectra of Pluto, Triton, and Eris. We combine these…
Most exoplanets detected by direct imaging so far have been characterized by relatively hot (> ~1000 K) and cloudy atmospheres. A surprising feature in some of their atmospheres has been a distinct lack of methane, possibly implying…
Context: The dwarf planet (1) Ceres - next target of the NASA Dawn mission - is the largest body in the asteroid main belt; although several observations of this body have been performed so far, the presence of surface water ice is still…
Among the unusual broad absorption line quasars being found by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) are objects with much stronger absorption in Fe III than Fe II. These unusual line ratios require a high density in the outflow (n_H >= 3 x…
Photometric surveys of transNeptunian objects (TNOs) and Centaurs have suggested possible correlations between some orbital parameters and surface colors of classical objects, scattered disk objects (SDOs), and Centaurs. However, larger…
Hot methane is found in many "cool" sub-stellar astronomical sources including brown dwarfs and exoplanets, as well as in combustion environments on Earth. We report on the first high-resolution laboratory absorption spectra of hot methane…
Molecules present in exoplanetary atmospheres are expected to strongly influence the atmospheric radiation balance, trace dynamical and chemical processes, and indicate the presence of disequilibrium effects. Since molecules have the…
Quaoar is a classical Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) with an area equivalent diameter of 1,100 km and an orbital semi-major axis of 43.3 astronomical units. Based on stellar occultations observed between 2018 and 2021, an inhomogeneous ring…
We collect near-infrared spectra ($\sim0.75-2.55\ \mu m$) of four Jovian irregular satellites and visible spectra ($\sim0.32-1.00\ \mu m$) of two Jovian irregular satellites, two Uranian irregular satellites, and four Neptune Trojans. We…
We present a new description of the 7.7~$\mu$m region towards the high-mass star-forming region IRAS 23385+6053 taken from open James Webb Space Telescope Mid-Infrared Instrument Medium Resolution Spectrometer (JWST MIRI/MRS) data. This…
The release of volatiles from comets is usually from direct sublimation of ices on the nucleus, but for very or hyper-active comets other sources have to be considered to account for the total production rates. In this work, we present new…
IRTF/SpeX observations of Pluto's near-infrared reflectance spectrum during 2013 show vibrational absorption features of CO and N$_2$ ices at 1.58 and 2.15 {\mu}m, respectively, that are weaker than had been observed during the preceding…
Fifty-one objects in the 5_{-1}-4_0E methanol line at 84.5 GHz were detected during a survey of Class I maser sources. Narrow maser features were found in 17 of these. Broad quasi-thermal lines were detected towards other sources. One of…
We present the results of a pencil-beam survey of the Kuiper Belt using the Keck 10-m telescope. A single 0.01 square degree field is imaged 29 times for a total integration time of 4.8 hr. Combining exposures in software allows the…
An important testable prediction of dynamical instability models for the early evolution of the Solar System is that Jupiter Trojans share a source population with the Kuiper belt. Concrete evidence of this prediction remains elusive, as…
The dynamical structure of the Kuiper belt beyond 50 au is not well understood. Here we report results of a numerical model with long-range, slow and grainy migration of Neptune. The model implies that bodies scattered outward by Neptune to…