Search for CO gas in Pluto, Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects at radio wavelengths

Details Search for CO gas in Pluto, Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects at radio wavelengths Search for CO gas in Pluto, Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects at radio wavelengths

Oct 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001a%26a...377..343b&link_type=abstract

Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.377, p.343-353 (2001)

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

17

Planets And Satellites: Pluto, Kuiper Belt, Minor Planets, Asteroids, Radio Lines: Solar System

Scientific paper

We have searched for several rotational lines of CO in the Pluto-Charon system, Centaurs (Chiron, Pholus, Nessus, Asbolus, Chariklo and 1998 SG35) and Kuiper Belt objects (1994 TB, 1996 TL66, 1996 TO66, 1996 TP66 and 1998 WH4). The observations were performed with the 30 m telescope of the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique for Pluto/Charon, and with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and Caltech Submillimeter Observatory for Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects. A tentative 4.5-sigma J(2-1) CO line is present in the Pluto/Charon spectrum, which requires further confirmation. Assuming that Charon does not contribute to the CO emission, an upper limit of 1.2% and 7% is obtained for the CO/N2 mixing ratio in Pluto's atmosphere, using the atmospheric thermal structure derived from the Stansberry et al. (1994, Icarus 111, 503) and Strobel et al. (1996, Icarus 120, 266) models, respectively. These upper limits are more constraining (by more than a factor of 6) than the upper limits reported by Young et al. (2001, Icarus, in press) from near-IR spectroscopy. None of the Centaurs or Kuiper Belt objects (KBO) were detected in CO. The CO production rate upper limit obtained for Chiron (3-5 x 1027 mol s-1) over 1998-2000 years is a factor of 10 lower than the CO production rate derived from the marginal CO detection obtained in June 1995 by Womack & Stern (\cite{wom99}, Astron. Vestnik 33, 216), using same modelling of CO emission. Upper limits obtained for other Centaurs are typically ~ 1028 mol s-1, and between 1 and 5 x 1028 mol s-1 for the best observed KBOs. The comparison between these upper limits and the CO outgassing rates of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) measured at large distances from the Sun shows that Centaurs and KBOs underwent significant CO-devolatilization since their formation.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Search for CO gas in Pluto, Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects at radio wavelengths does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Search for CO gas in Pluto, Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects at radio wavelengths, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Search for CO gas in Pluto, Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects at radio wavelengths will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1099755