The state of CO and CO2 ices in the Kuiper belt as seen by JWST

TL;DR

JWST observations reveal that CO and CO2 ices are prevalent on Kuiper belt objects' surfaces, with spectral features explained by micron-sized particles and irradiation processes, indicating volatile differentiation as a key surface process.

Contribution

This study provides a detailed spectral analysis of CO and CO2 ices on Kuiper belt objects, proposing new explanations for their surface composition and trapping mechanisms based on Mie scattering theory and irradiation effects.

Findings

CO2 forms a thin surface layer of micron-sized particles.

CO is trapped in CO2 grains through irradiation processes.

Surface composition suggests volatile differentiation from the interior.

Abstract

JWST has shown that CO2 and CO are common on the surfaces of objects in the Kuiper belt and have apparent surface coverages even higher than that of water ice, though water ice is expected to be significantly more abundant in the bulk composition. Using full Mie scattering theory, we show that the high abundance and the unusual spectral behaviour around the 4.26 micron v1 band of CO2 can be explained by a surface covered in a few micron thick layer of ~ 1-2 micron CO2 particles. CO is unstable at the temperatures in the Kuiper belt, so the CO must be trapped in some more stable species. While hydrate clathrates or amorphous water ice are often invoked as a trapping mechanism for outer solar system ices, the expected spectral shift of the absorption line for a CO hydrate clathrates or trapping in amorphous ice is not seen, nor does the H2O abundance appear to be high enough to explain the depth of the CO absorption line. Instead, we suggest that the CO is created via irradiation of CO2 and trapped in the CO2 grains during this process. The presence of a thin surface layer of CO2 with embedded CO suggests volatile differentiation driving CO2 from the interior as a major process driving the surface appearance of these mid-sized Kuiper belt objects, but the mechanisms that control the small grain size and depth of the surface layer remain unclear.