Color, composition, and thermal environment of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

W. M. Grundy; M. K. Bird; D. T. Britt; J. C. Cook; D. P. Cruikshank; C. J.A. Howett; S. Krijt; I. R. Linscott; C. B. Olkin; A. H. Parker; S. Protopapa; M. Ruaud; O. M. Umurhan; L. A. Young; C. M. Dalle Ore; J. J. Kavelaars; J. T. Keane; Y. J. Pendleton; S. B. Porter; F. Scipioni; J. R. Spencer; S. A. Stern; A. J. Verbiscer; H. A. Weaver; R. P. Binzel; M. W. Buie; B. J. Buratti; A. Cheng; A. M. Earle; H. A. Elliott; L. Gabasova; G. R. Gladstone; M. E. Hill; M. Horanyi; D. E. Jennings; A. W. Lunsford; D. J. McComas; W. B. McKinnon; R. L. McNutt; J. M. Moore; J. W. Parker; E. Quirico; D. C. Reuter; P. M. Schenk; B. Schmitt; M. R. Showalter; K. N. Singer; G. E. Weigle; A. M. Zangari

doi:10.1126/science.aay3705

Color, composition, and thermal environment of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

W. M. Grundy, M. K. Bird, D. T. Britt, J. C. Cook, D. P. Cruikshank, C. J.A. Howett, S. Krijt, I. R. Linscott, C. B. Olkin, A. H. Parker, S. Protopapa, M. Ruaud, O. M. Umurhan, L. A. Young, C. M. Dalle Ore, J. J. Kavelaars, J. T. Keane, Y. J. Pendleton, S. B. Porter, F. ScipioniJ. R. Spencer, S. A. Stern, A. J. Verbiscer, H. A. Weaver, R. P. Binzel, M. W. Buie, B. J. Buratti, A. Cheng, A. M. Earle, H. A. Elliott, L. Gabasova, G. R. Gladstone, M. E. Hill, M. Horanyi, D. E. Jennings, A. W. Lunsford, D. J. McComas, W. B. McKinnon, R. L. McNutt, J. M. Moore, J. W. Parker, E. Quirico, D. C. Reuter, P. M. Schenk, B. Schmitt, M. R. Showalter, K. N. Singer, G. E. Weigle, A. M. Zangari

Astrophysical Sciences

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Abstract

The outer Solar System object (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU₆₉) has been largely undisturbed since its formation. We studied its surface composition using data collected by the New Horizons spacecraft. Methanol ice is present along with organic material, which may have formed through irradiation of simple molecules. Water ice was not detected. This composition indicates hydrogenation of carbon monoxide-rich ice and/or energetic processing of methane condensed on water ice grains in the cold, outer edge of the early Solar System. There are only small regional variations in color and spectra across the surface, which suggests that Arrokoth formed from a homogeneous or well-mixed reservoir of solids. Microwave thermal emission from the winter night side is consistent with a mean brightness temperature of 29 ± 5 kelvin.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	eaay3705
Journal	Science
Volume	367
Issue number	6481
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3705
State	Published - Feb 28 2020

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Grundy, W. M., Bird, M. K., Britt, D. T., Cook, J. C., Cruikshank, D. P., Howett, C. J. A., Krijt, S., Linscott, I. R., Olkin, C. B., Parker, A. H., Protopapa, S., Ruaud, M., Umurhan, O. M., Young, L. A., Dalle Ore, C. M., Kavelaars, J. J., Keane, J. T., Pendleton, Y. J., Porter, S. B., ... Zangari, A. M. (2020). Color, composition, and thermal environment of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth. Science, 367(6481), Article eaay3705. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3705

@article{2658ba380c794720a30f62e64bf37ab2,

title = "Color, composition, and thermal environment of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth",

abstract = "The outer Solar System object (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69) has been largely undisturbed since its formation. We studied its surface composition using data collected by the New Horizons spacecraft. Methanol ice is present along with organic material, which may have formed through irradiation of simple molecules. Water ice was not detected. This composition indicates hydrogenation of carbon monoxide-rich ice and/or energetic processing of methane condensed on water ice grains in the cold, outer edge of the early Solar System. There are only small regional variations in color and spectra across the surface, which suggests that Arrokoth formed from a homogeneous or well-mixed reservoir of solids. Microwave thermal emission from the winter night side is consistent with a mean brightness temperature of 29 ± 5 kelvin.",

author = "Grundy, {W. M.} and Bird, {M. K.} and Britt, {D. T.} and Cook, {J. C.} and Cruikshank, {D. P.} and Howett, {C. J.A.} and S. Krijt and Linscott, {I. R.} and Olkin, {C. B.} and Parker, {A. H.} and S. Protopapa and M. Ruaud and Umurhan, {O. M.} and Young, {L. A.} and {Dalle Ore}, {C. M.} and Kavelaars, {J. J.} and Keane, {J. T.} and Pendleton, {Y. J.} and Porter, {S. B.} and F. Scipioni and Spencer, {J. R.} and Stern, {S. A.} and Verbiscer, {A. J.} and Weaver, {H. A.} and Binzel, {R. P.} and Buie, {M. W.} and Buratti, {B. J.} and A. Cheng and Earle, {A. M.} and Elliott, {H. A.} and L. Gabasova and Gladstone, {G. R.} and Hill, {M. E.} and M. Horanyi and Jennings, {D. E.} and Lunsford, {A. W.} and McComas, {D. J.} and McKinnon, {W. B.} and McNutt, {R. L.} and Moore, {J. M.} and Parker, {J. W.} and E. Quirico and Reuter, {D. C.} and Schenk, {P. M.} and B. Schmitt and Showalter, {M. R.} and Singer, {K. N.} and Weigle, {G. E.} and Zangari, {A. M.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works",

year = "2020",

month = feb,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1126/science.aay3705",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "367",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6481",

}

Grundy, WM, Bird, MK, Britt, DT, Cook, JC, Cruikshank, DP, Howett, CJA, Krijt, S, Linscott, IR, Olkin, CB, Parker, AH, Protopapa, S, Ruaud, M, Umurhan, OM, Young, LA, Dalle Ore, CM, Kavelaars, JJ, Keane, JT, Pendleton, YJ, Porter, SB, Scipioni, F, Spencer, JR, Stern, SA, Verbiscer, AJ, Weaver, HA, Binzel, RP, Buie, MW, Buratti, BJ, Cheng, A, Earle, AM, Elliott, HA, Gabasova, L, Gladstone, GR, Hill, ME, Horanyi, M, Jennings, DE, Lunsford, AW, McComas, DJ, McKinnon, WB, McNutt, RL, Moore, JM, Parker, JW, Quirico, E, Reuter, DC, Schenk, PM, Schmitt, B, Showalter, MR, Singer, KN, Weigle, GE & Zangari, AM 2020, 'Color, composition, and thermal environment of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth', Science, vol. 367, no. 6481, eaay3705. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3705

TY - JOUR

T1 - Color, composition, and thermal environment of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

AU - Grundy, W. M.

AU - Bird, M. K.

AU - Britt, D. T.

AU - Cook, J. C.

AU - Cruikshank, D. P.

AU - Howett, C. J.A.

AU - Krijt, S.

AU - Linscott, I. R.

AU - Olkin, C. B.

AU - Parker, A. H.

AU - Protopapa, S.

AU - Ruaud, M.

AU - Umurhan, O. M.

AU - Young, L. A.

AU - Dalle Ore, C. M.

AU - Kavelaars, J. J.

AU - Keane, J. T.

AU - Pendleton, Y. J.

AU - Porter, S. B.

AU - Scipioni, F.

AU - Spencer, J. R.

AU - Stern, S. A.

AU - Verbiscer, A. J.

AU - Weaver, H. A.

AU - Binzel, R. P.

AU - Buie, M. W.

AU - Buratti, B. J.

AU - Cheng, A.

AU - Earle, A. M.

AU - Elliott, H. A.

AU - Gabasova, L.

AU - Gladstone, G. R.

AU - Hill, M. E.

AU - Horanyi, M.

AU - Jennings, D. E.

AU - Lunsford, A. W.

AU - McComas, D. J.

AU - McKinnon, W. B.

AU - McNutt, R. L.

AU - Moore, J. M.

AU - Parker, J. W.

AU - Quirico, E.

AU - Reuter, D. C.

AU - Schenk, P. M.

AU - Schmitt, B.

AU - Showalter, M. R.

AU - Singer, K. N.

AU - Weigle, G. E.

AU - Zangari, A. M.

PY - 2020/2/28

Y1 - 2020/2/28

N2 - The outer Solar System object (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69) has been largely undisturbed since its formation. We studied its surface composition using data collected by the New Horizons spacecraft. Methanol ice is present along with organic material, which may have formed through irradiation of simple molecules. Water ice was not detected. This composition indicates hydrogenation of carbon monoxide-rich ice and/or energetic processing of methane condensed on water ice grains in the cold, outer edge of the early Solar System. There are only small regional variations in color and spectra across the surface, which suggests that Arrokoth formed from a homogeneous or well-mixed reservoir of solids. Microwave thermal emission from the winter night side is consistent with a mean brightness temperature of 29 ± 5 kelvin.

AB - The outer Solar System object (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69) has been largely undisturbed since its formation. We studied its surface composition using data collected by the New Horizons spacecraft. Methanol ice is present along with organic material, which may have formed through irradiation of simple molecules. Water ice was not detected. This composition indicates hydrogenation of carbon monoxide-rich ice and/or energetic processing of methane condensed on water ice grains in the cold, outer edge of the early Solar System. There are only small regional variations in color and spectra across the surface, which suggests that Arrokoth formed from a homogeneous or well-mixed reservoir of solids. Microwave thermal emission from the winter night side is consistent with a mean brightness temperature of 29 ± 5 kelvin.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85080832678&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85080832678&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.aay3705

DO - 10.1126/science.aay3705

M3 - Article

C2 - 32054693

AN - SCOPUS:85080832678

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 367

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6481

M1 - eaay3705

ER -

Color, composition, and thermal environment of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

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