Poster
A. C. Souza-Feliciano, B. Holler, N. Pinilla-Alonso, M. De Pra, R. Brunetto, J. Stansberry, T. Muller, J. Licandro Goldaracena, J. Emery, E. Henault, A. Guilbert-Lepoutre, Y. J. Pendleton, D. P. Cruikshank, M. T. Bannister, N. Peixinho, L. McClure, B. Harvison, V. Lorenzi
Abstract
Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are remnants of small icy bodies from planetary formation that orbit in the region beyond Neptune. Within the population of TNOs, trans-Neptunian binaries (TNBs) provide a valuable opportunity to test the models of the formation and evolution of planetesimals in the trans-Neptunian region. In this work, we study the surface composition of Mors-Somnus, the only TNB with resolved components in the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Cycle 1 General Observer program “DiSCo-TNOs” (PID 2418; PI: Pinilla-Alonso). Despite its membership in the plutino (3:2 resonance with Neptune) dynamical population, Mors–Somnus shares binary properties with the cold-classical TNBs, such as the comparable sizes of the components, and very wide separation. Hence, we also explore the connection between Mors-Somnus and the cold classical and plutino subpopulations observed in the DiSCo-TNOs project. By comparing the similar surface composition of the pair and the high degree of compositional homogeneity among cold classical TNOs, as opposed to the heterogeneity found within the plutino subgroup, we aim to contribute additional insights to the understanding of Neptune's migration in the early history of the Solar System.
TNO2024 The Trans-Neptunian Solar System
Taipei, Taiwan
2024 June
