THE ALBEDO-COLOR DIVERSITY OF TRANSNEPTUNIAN OBJECTS

Journal Article · Sat Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/793/1/L2· OSTI ID:22365048

Lacerda, Pedro; Rengel, Miriam ^[1]; Fornasier, Sonia; Lellouch, Emmanuel; Delsanti, Audrey ^[2]; Kiss, Csaba ^[3]; Vilenius, Esa; Müller, Thomas ^[4]; Santos-Sanz, Pablo; Duffard, René ^[5]; Stansberry, John ^[6]; Guilbert-Lepoutre, Aurélie ^[7]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen (Germany)
2. LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, Université Paris-Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon (France)
3. Konkoly Observatory, MTA CSFK, 1121 Budapest, Konkoly Th. M. út 15-17 (Hungary)
4. Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, Giessenbachstrasse, D-85741 Garching (Germany)
5. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía, s/n. E-18008 Granada (Spain)
6. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
7. European Space Agency/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201-AZ Noordwijk (Netherlands)

We analyze albedo data obtained using the Herschel Space Observatory that reveal the existence of two distinct types of surface among midsized trans-Neptunian objects. A color-albedo diagram shows two large clusters of objects, one redder and higher albedo and another darker and more neutrally colored. Crucially, all objects in our sample located in dynamically stable orbits within the classical Kuiper Belt region and beyond are confined to the bright red group, implying a compositional link. Those objects are believed to have formed further from the Sun than the dark neutral bodies. This color-albedo separation is evidence for a compositional discontinuity in the young solar system.

• OSTI ID: 22365048
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 793, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ALBEDO
COLOR
DIAGRAMS
ORBITS
SOLAR SYSTEM
SPACE
SUN
SURFACES