Related papers: The Surface of 2003EL61 in the Near Infrared
We have obtained a near infrared spectrum of the brightest satellite of the large Kuiper Belt Object, 2003 EL61. The spectrum has absorption features at 1.5 and 2.0 microns, indicating that water ice is present on the surface. We find that…
2003 EL61 is the largest member of a group of TNOs with similar orbits and 'unique' spectra (neutral slope in the visible and the deepest water ice absorption bands ever observed in the TNb). Studying the composition of the surface of 2003…
We have acquired near-infrared spectra of Kuiper belt objects 2003 UZ117, 2005 CB79 and 2004 SB60 with NIRC on the Keck I Telescope. These objects are dynamically close to the core of the 2003 EL61 collisional family and were suggested to…
Context: The recent discovery of a group of trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) in a narrow region of the orbital parameter space and with surfaces composed of almost pure water ice, being 2003 EL61 its largest member, promises new and…
We present new solar phase curve observations of the 2003 EL61 collisional family showing that all the members have light-scattering properties similar to the bright icy satellites and dwarf planets. Compared to other Kuiper Belt objects,…
We present high precision, time-resolved visible and near infrared photometry of the large (diameter ~ 2500 km) Kuiper belt object (136108) 2003 EL61. The new data confirm rapid rotation at period P = 3.9155+/-0.0001 hr with a peak-to-peak…
We present high signal precision optical reflectance spectra of the large Kuiper belt objects 2005 FY9 and 2003 EL61. The spectrum of 2005 FY9 exhibits strong CH4-ice bands. A comparison between the spectrum and a Hapke model indicates the…
We present measurements at optical wavelengths of the spectral reflectance, rotational light curve, and solar phase curve of 2003 EL61. With apparent visual magnitude 17.5 at 51 AU from the sun, this newly discovered member of the classical…
The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer aboard the Huygens probe successfully acquired images and spectra of the surface of Titan. To counter the effects of haze and atmospheric methane absorption it carried a Surface Science Lamp to…
We present new optical reflectance spectra of three potentially silicate-rich trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs). These spectra were obtained with the aim of confirming past hints and detections of 0.7 micron absorption features associated with…
We report complete near-infrared (0.9-2.4 $\mu$m) spectral observations of trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) 2000 EB173 and 2000 WR106 collected using the new Near Infrared Camera Spectrometer (NICS) attached to the 3.56m Telescopio Nazionale…
Recent results suggest that there is a group of TNOs (2003 EL61 being the biggest member), with surfaces composed of almost pure water ice and with very similar orbital elements. We study the surface composition of another TNO that moves in…
We present near-infrared Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer LMIRCam imagery of the disk around the Herbig Ae/Be star AB Aurigae. A comparison of surface brightness at Ks (2.16 ${\mu}$m), H2O narrowband (3.08 ${\mu}$m), and L' (3.7…
We present the surface brightness profile of M31's stellar halo out to a projected radius of 175 kpc. The surface brightness estimates are based on confirmed samples of M31 red giant branch stars derived from Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopic…
We present the first measurements of Charon's far-ultraviolet surface reflectance, obtained by the Alice spectrograph on New Horizons. We find no measurable flux shortward of 1650 A, and Charon's geometric albedo is $<0.019$ ($3\sigma$) at…
In this work we investigate the effects of the environment on the X-ray photoelectron spectra of hydrogen chloride and the chloride ions adsorbed on ice surfaces, as well as of chloride ions in water droplets. In our approach, we combine a…
Nereid, Neptune's third largest satellite, lies in an irregular orbit and is the only outer satellite in the system (apart from Triton) that can be spectroscopically characterized with the current generation of Earth-based telescopes. We…
We investigate spectra of airless rocky exoplanets with a theoretical framework that self-consistently treats reflection and thermal emission. We find that a silicate surface on an exoplanet is spectroscopically detectable via prominent…
Compact layers containing embedded semiconductor particles consolidated using pulsed electric current sintering exhibit intense, broadband near-infrared reflectance. The composites consolidated from nano- or micro-silica powder have a…
The crystallinity of water ice not only records the thermal history experienced by an astronomical body, but also affects the composition of forming planets by controlling the trapping of volatile materials in amorphous ice and their…