Bibcode
Pinilla-Alonso, Noemi; Brunetto, R.; Licandro, J.; Gil-Hutton, R.; Campins, H.
Bibliographical reference
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #49.05; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.510
Advertised on:
10
2007
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We present a detailed study on the surface composition of 2003 EL61.
We use visible and near-infrared spectra of 2003 EL61 obtained for more
than three consecutive hours covering more than 80% of the rotational
period, in the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and William Herschel
Telescope, sited in the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos.
First we show that our observations do not evidence large spectral
variations, neither concerning the spectral gradient in the visible nor
the depth of water ice bands what agrees with Rabinowitz et al 2006.
suggestion of an homogeneus composition of the surface.
We show later a detailed set of fitings to the spectra using Hapke
theory, our models show that:
- It is not possible to reproduce the spectrum of 2003El61 with simple
amorphous or crystalline water ice or an spatial mixture of both.
- This spectrum is compatible with an intimate mixture of crystalline
and amorphous water ice in the proportion of about 1:1 what is
consistent with the scenario of an homogeneus body.
- We explore the possibility of reproducing this spectrum with a
configuration of two layers of water ice with different proportion of
crystalline and amorphous ice, what is consistent with the effects of
ion irradiation on the surface of TNOs.
- Finally we investigate the presence of other minor components such as
poly-HCN or hydrated silicates and find that none of them helps us to
improve the fit quality. Furthermore, more than a 5% of each of these
components in the fittings is enough to produce non-neutral slopes in
the visible range, which is in complete disagreement with the
observations.