Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Charon: Possible Evidence for Cryovolcanism on Kuiper Belt Objects

Details Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Charon: Possible Evidence for Cryovolcanism on Kuiper Belt Objects Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Charon: Possible Evidence for Cryovolcanism on Kuiper Belt Objects

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.2102c&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #21.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.518

Physics

Optics

Scientific paper

We discuss results from adaptive optics spectra of Charon in H and K examining the anti-Pluto and sub-Pluto hemispheres. The data were obtained in August and September of 2005 using the NIRI+Altair instrument on the Gemini 8-m telescope on Mauna Kea. Our observations have a resolving power (λ/Δλ) ≈ 600, about 3 times greater than resolved spectra from HST. We estimate the ice temperature on each face at 40-50 K based on the 1.65 μm feature of crystalline water ice. We obtain the first accurate profiles of the previously detected 2.21 μm feature and confirm that the feature is due to hydrated ammonia. We detect differences in the profiles of this feature between the two hemispheres, which we attribute to differences in the degree of hydration of ammonia-bearing species. At these wavelengths solar UV/Vis photons readily amorphize the crystalline ice to a depth of 350 μm. We estimate the half life of this process is 1.4 - 2.1 × 104 years. Similar timescales apply to 2003 EL61, 2002 TX300 and Quaoar, where crystalline ice has also been detected. The presence of crystalline ice therefore demands that in the last 104 years the ice has been warmed to ≥ 95 K, or has been buried by a
fresh deposit of crystalline ice to depths greater than 350 μm. The short lifetime of crystalline ice, its detection on KBOs similar in size to Charon, and its global coverage on Charon is very suggestive of a resurfacing mechanism. We will discuss several possible the surface can be renewed.
JCC would like to thank the staff at Gemini Observatory who helped execute program GN-2005B-Q-57.

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