The Composition of Kuiper Belt Objects

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Hst Proposal Id #7858 Solar System

Scientific paper

The small bodies recently discovered in the outer solar system appear to be unique both in composition and diversity compared to other classes of solar system objects. Existing observations of Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects {KBOs} at visible wavelengths show a wide range of broad band colors and, in the very few cases where spectra exist, a variety of new and unidentified spectral features. This diversity, if a general characteristic of the KBOs and Centaurs, may document the collisional processing of the primitive surfaces of these objects and/or differences in the composition and formation conditions of these bodies. At present, the number of objects for which accurate infrared observations exist is too small to allow general conclusions about their surface composition to be reached. We propose here to obtain infrared spectra and spectrophotometry of a significant number of KBOs, including smaller and fainter objects that are, possibly, less dynamically altered. The sensitivity of NICMOS offers the only opportunity to measure a statistically significant number of KBOs.

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