Scientists have observed carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ice in the far reaches of our solar system for the first time. The observation was made possible by using the spectral infrared capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Researchers analyzed the chemical composition of 59 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), which are small planetary bodies whose orbits lie beyond Neptune’s orbit and are found in the Kuiper Belt.
They found that carbon dioxide ice was abundant in the cold outer regions of the protoplanetary disk, the enormous rotating disk of gas and dust that formed the solar system.
The research team was led by planetary scientists Mário Nascimento De Prá and Noemí Pinilla-Alonso of the Florida Space Institute (FSI) at the University of Central Florida.
Finding a way to broaden our understanding of the formation of the solar system
“It is the first time we have observed this region of the spectrum for a large collection of TNOs, so in a sense everything we saw was exciting and unique,” says de Prá, co-author of the study.
“We did not expect carbon dioxide to be so ubiquitous in the TNO region, much less that carbon monoxide was present in so many TNOs.”
The study could increase our understanding of the formation of our solar system and how celestial bodies may have migrated.
De Prá emphasized that these findings could place important constraints on where these objects were formed.
“How they reached the region where they live today, and how their surface evolved since their formation. Because they formed at greater distances from the Sun and are smaller than the planets, they contain pure information about the original composition of the protoplanetary disk.”
CO2 detected at 56 TNOs
According to the study, the researchers reported the detection of carbon dioxide in 56 TNOs and carbon monoxide in 28 (plus six with questionable or marginal detections) from a sample of 59 objects observed with the JWST.
They found that carbon dioxide was widespread on the surfaces of the trans-Neptunian population, regardless of dynamic class or body size, while carbon monoxide was only detected in objects with a high concentration of carbon dioxide.
Researchers maintained that the presence of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide on TNOs offers many opportunities to further investigate and quantify how and why it is present.
“The discovery of carbon dioxide on trans-Neptunian objects was exciting, but even more fascinating were its features,” says Pinilla-Alonso, who is also a co-author of the study and leads the DiSCo-TNOs program. “The spectral imprint of carbon dioxide revealed two different surface compositions in our sample.”
She states that at some TNOs carbon dioxide is mixed with other materials such as methanol, water ice and silicates. However, in another group – where carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are important surface components – the spectral signature was strikingly unique.
“This stark imprint of carbon dioxide is unlike anything observed on other bodies in the solar system or even replicated in laboratory settings.”
The finding changes our understanding of the composition of TNOs and indicates that the processes affecting their surfaces are more complex than we realized.
The study was published this week in the journal Nature Astronomy.
ABOUT THE EDITORIAL
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Prabhat is a technology and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing about modern weapons and emerging technology, he has also covered global politics and business. He was previously associated with well-known media houses including International Business Times (Singapore Edition) and ANI.