Webb enables analysis of small binaries in the Kuiper belt

Webb enables analysis of small binaries in the Kuiper belt Shown is an artist’s imagination of Mors-Somnus, a binary star duo consisting of a pair of icy asteroids held together by gravity. The James Webb Space Telescope will analyze the composition of a small trans-Neptunian object (TNO) for the first time, potentially providing clues to Neptune’s evolution. It was recently concluded that Mors Somnus, a binary star duo consisting of a pair of icy asteroids held together by gravity, originated in the Kuiper belt. This means that this planet can be used as a basis for studying its dynamic history and expanding our understanding. Neptune and Neptune can serve objects known as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). The study, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics by scientists at the University of Central Florida, is the first to show that it is possible to study the surface composition of the two components of a small TNO binary pair. It had never been done before. That could affect how we understand the entire region beyond Neptune. Using James Webb’s extensive spectral capabilities, the research team analyzed the elemental composition of six potentially closely related TNO surfaces, and found that Mors Somnus shares many similarities with neighboring TNO surfaces. I confirmed that I have the points. These largely undisturbed TNOs are called “cold classics” and serve as reference points that were undisturbed by Neptune during its migration. Together, the binary stars and other nearby TNOs in the same dynamical cluster could act as indicators to track Neptune’s movement before settling into its final orbit, the researchers said. Binary star systems separated by distance, such as Mors-Somnus, can hardly survive outside of regions bounded by gravity and protected by other patches of ice and rock, such as the Kuiper belt. To withstand deployment in these regions, a slow transportation process to the destination is required. The similar spectroscopic behavior of Mors and Somnus and their similarity to the cold classical group led the researchers to believe that this binary pair could be separated at distances greater than 30 AU, as also suggested in the published literature. We found compositional evidence that it was formed. Together, the binary stars and other nearby TNOs in the same dynamical cluster could act as indicators to track Neptune’s movement before settling into its final orbit, the researchers said. Binary star systems separated by distance, such as Mors-Somnus, can hardly survive outside of regions bounded by gravity and protected by other patches of ice and rock, such as the Kuiper belt.

source:https://arxiv.org/html/2401.12679v1