Study of the Surface of 2003 EL61: the largest carbon-depleted object in the trans-neptunian belt

TL;DR

This study analyzes the surface composition of 2003 EL61, a large trans-Neptunian object, revealing a homogeneous, water ice-rich surface with implications for its origin and the history of the outer Solar System.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed spectral analysis of 2003 EL61's surface, showing a mixture of crystalline and amorphous water ice and constraining its surface age and composition.

Findings

Surface is homogeneous across rotational phases.

Surface composed mainly of crystalline and amorphous water ice.

Depleted of carbon chains, possibly source of carbon-depleted comets.

Abstract

2003 EL61 is the largest member of a group of TNOs with similar orbits and 'unique' spectra (neutral slope in the visible and the deepest water ice absorption bands ever observed in the TNb). Studying the composition of the surface of 2003 EL61 provides useful constrains on the origin of this particular group of TNOs and on the outer Solar system's history. We present visible and near-infrared spectra of 2003 EL61 obtained with the 4.2m WHT and the 3.6m TNG at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Canary Islands, Spain). Near infrared spectra were obtained at different rotational phases covering almost one complete rotational period. Spectra are fitted using Hapke scattering models and constraints on the surface composition are derived. No significant variations in the spectral slope and in the depth of the water ice absorption bands at different rotational phases are evident, suggesting that the surface of 2003 EL61 is homogeneous. The scattering models show that a 1:1 intimate mixture of crystalline and amorphous water ice is the most probable composition for the surface of this TNO, and constrain the presence of other minor constituents to a maximum of 8% The derived composition suggests that: a) cryovolcanism is unlikely to be the main resurfacing process responsible for the high presence of water ice on the surface of these bodies; b) the surface is older than 10^8 yr. Any catastrophic event, like the collision suggested to be the origin of this population, had to happen at least 10^8 yr ago; c) the surface of 2003 EL61 is depleted of carbon chains. According to the orbital parameters of this population, this makes it a possible source of carbon-depleted Jupiter family comets.