Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2000
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000dps....32.6511j&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS Meeting #32, #65.11; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 32, p.1641
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Significant attention has been paid to the visible and near-IR spectral characteristics of Trans-Neptunian Objects that exhibit the steep increase in spectral reflectance with increasing wavelength. In the near-IR, absorption features suggesting the presence of organics in the surface material have been identified. The compositional characteristics of those Trans-Neptunian objects having flatter visible/near IR reflectance properties (similar to the C- and D-class asteroids) are less well understood. Water ice has been identified in the reflectance spectra of 2060 Chiron, 1997 CU26, and 1996 TO66 (c.f., Brown et al., Science 280, 1998; Ap.J. Lett. 519, 1999). In the absence of other spectral information, the grey spectra have been assumed to be carbonaceous chondritic. Shallow, but potentially diagnostic, absorption features have been found in the reflectance spectra of some C-class (and subclasses G, F, B) and P-class asteroids. These features are similar to those found in laboratory reflectance spectra of some carbonaceous chondrites and some terrestrial phyllosilicates. We have started a program to search for the presence of subtle absorption features in the spectra of Trans-Neptunian Objects beginning with examining data already published by many observers. Should spectral characteristics similar to those found in objects believed to have undergone aqueous alteration be present, a mechanism for producing aqueous alteration at these heliocentric distances must be defined. This work has been supported by the NASA Planetary Astronomy program.
Jarvis Kandy S.
Vilas Faith
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