Methane, ammonia, and their irradiation products at the surface of an intermediate-size KBO? A portrait of Plutino (90482) Orcus

TL;DR

This study investigates the surface composition and thermal history of the Kuiper Belt Object Orcus, revealing crystalline water ice, irradiation products like ammonium and ethane, and evidence of past cryovolcanic activity through spectroscopic analysis and thermal modeling.

Contribution

First detailed spectral analysis of Orcus incorporating irradiation products and a comprehensive thermal evolution model indicating past cryovolcanic activity.

Findings

Detection of crystalline water ice on Orcus surface.

Presence of ammonium and ethane as irradiation products.

Evidence suggesting past cryovolcanic resurfacing.

Abstract

Orcus is an intermediate-size 1000km-scale Kuiper Belt Object in 3:2 mean-motion resonance with Neptune, in an orbit very similar to that of Pluto. We present visible and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy obtained with the Keck 10m-telescope and the Gemini 8m-telescope . We confirm the unambiguous detection of crystalline water ice as well as absorption in the 2.2\mu m region. Both in the visible and near-infrared Orcus' spectral properties appear to be homogeneous over time (and probably rotation) at the resolution available. From Hapke radiative transfer models involving intimate mixtures of various ices we find for the first time that ammonium (NH+4) and traces of ethane (C2 H6), which are most probably solar irradiation products of ammonia and methane, and a mixture of methane and ammonia (diluted or not) are the best candidates to improve the description of the data with respect to a simple water ice mixture (Haumea type surface). The possible more subtle structure of the 2.2\mu m band(s) should be investigated thoroughly in the future for Orcus and other intermediate size Plutinos to better understand the methane and ammonia chemistry at work, if any. We investigated the thermal history of Orcus with a new 3D thermal evolution model. Simulations over 4.5 x109 yrs with an input 10% porosity, bulk composition of 23% amorphous water ice and 77% dust, and cold accretion show that even with the action of long-lived radiogenic elements only, Orcus should have a melted core and most probably suffered a cryovolcanic event in its history which brought large amounts of crystalline ice to the surface. The presence of ammonia in the interior would strengthen the melting process. The crystalline water ice possibly brought to the surface by a past cryovolcanic event sbe detectable after several billion years despite the irradiation eects, as demonstrated by recent laboratory experiments.