Spectral trends across the rings and inner moons of Uranus and Neptune from JWST NIRCam images

TL;DR

This study uses JWST NIRCam images to analyze spectral variations of Uranus and Neptune's rings and moons, revealing compositional differences and trends related to water ice content and particle sizes across the systems.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic spectral analysis of the rings and inner moons of Uranus and Neptune using JWST data, highlighting compositional and spatial trends.

Findings

Neptune's rings have very weak 3-micron water-ice absorption bands.

Spectral strength of the 3-micron band increases with distance from Uranus.

Outer moons like Mab are water-ice rich, while inner moons are less so.

Abstract

JWST NIRCam images provide low-resolution spectra of the rings and inner moons orbiting Uranus and Neptune. These data reveal systematic variations in spectral parameters like the strength of the strong OH absorption band around 3 microns and the spectral slopes at continuum wavelengths. Neptune's rings show an extremely weak 3-micron band, which is likely due to the small particle sizes in these dusty rings. Neptune's small inner moons also have weaker 3-micron bands and redder continua than Uranus' small inner moons, indicating that Neptune's moons have a lower water-ice fraction. There are also clear spectral trends across the inner Uranian system. The strength of the 3-micron band clearly increases with distance from Uranus, with the rings having a noticeably weaker 3-micron band than most of the small inner moons, which have a weaker 3-micron band than the larger moons like Miranda. While the rings and most of the small moons have neutral spectra between 1.4 microns and 2.1 microns, the outermost small moon Mab exhibits a blue spectral slope comparable to Miranda, indicating that Mab's surface may also be relatively water-ice rich. The next moon interior to Mab, Puck, exhibits a stronger 3-micron band and bluer continuum slope than any of the moons orbiting interior to it, perhaps indicating that it is being covered by water-ice-rich material derived from Mab via the mu ring. Finally, the small moon Rosalind has a redder spectral slope than its neighbors, possibly due to being coated with material from the dusty nu ring.