Absolute magnitudes and phase coefficients of trans-Neptunian objects

TL;DR

This study measures accurate V band absolute magnitudes and phase coefficients for 56 trans-Neptunian objects, providing new data crucial for thermal modeling and understanding surface properties of these distant celestial bodies.

Contribution

It presents the first comprehensive set of V band absolute magnitudes and phase coefficients for a significant sample of trans-Neptunian objects, including new measurements and literature data.

Findings

237 new magnitudes obtained, 6 are first reports.

Average absolute magnitude is 6.39, with a range from -1.12 to 14.60.

Phase coefficients vary widely, median 0.10 mag/degree, from -0.88 to 1.35.

Abstract

Context: Accurate measurements of diameters of trans-Neptunian objects are extremely complicated to obtain. Thermal modeling can provide good results, but accurate absolute magnitudes are needed to constrain the thermal models and derive diameters and geometric albedos. The absolute magnitude, Hv, is defined as the magnitude of the object reduced to unit helio- and geocentric distances and a zero solar phase angle and is determined using phase curves. Phase coefficients can also be obtained from phase curves. These are related to surface properties, yet not many are known. Aims: Our objective is to measure accurate V band absolute magnitudes and phase coefficients for a sample of trans-Neptunian objects, many of which have been observed, and modeled, within the 'TNOs are cool' program, one of Herschel Space Observatory key projects. Methods: We observed 56 objects using the V and R filters. These data, along with those available in the literature, were used to obtain phase curves and measure V band absolute magnitudes and phase coefficients by assuming a linear trend of the phase curves and considering magnitude variability due to rotational light-curve. Results: We obtained 237 new magnitudes for the 56 objects, six of them with no reported previous measurements. Including the data from the literature we report a total of 110 absolute magnitudes with their respective phase coefficients. The average value of Hv is 6.39, bracketed by a minimum of 14.60 and a maximum of -1.12. In the case of the phase coefficients we report 0.10 mag per degree as the median value and a very large dispersion, ranging from -0.88 up tp 1.35 mag per degree.