Allison Man (aman@phas.ubc.ca) and Brett Gladman (gladman@astro.ubc.ca)
*All are welcome to this event!
Event Information:
Abstract:
The Kuiper Belt (also called Trans-Neptunian region) is a large population of sub-planet-sized beyond the orbit of Neptune. These bodies provide windows into conditions of the outer solar nebula, the process of planet growth and differentiation in icy bodies, and current dynamics and dynamical evolution of the Solar System. Mapping of their orbits has revealed distinct dynamical structures that indicate that bodies in the Kuiper Belt have been moved and shuffled by significant outward migration of Uranus and Neptune, complicating the task of uncovering links between composition and nebular conditions. Ground- based visible to near-infrared (VNIR; 0.4 to 2.5 microns) spectra of the largest bodies (Pluto, Eris, Makemake) are dominated by methane. VNIR spectra of smaller (and therefore fainter) Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) generally have fairly low S/N, precluding detailed compositional analysis.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) opens a new era in spectral observations of KBO. The NIRSpec instrument extends spectral observations to 5.3 microns, a region that includes strong fundamental vibrational modes of many ices and organics of thought to populate these surfaces, and the sensitivity, even in this new wavelength range, is extraordinary. In this talk, I will present results of spectroscopy of KBOs and related populations from the first year of JWST observations. These highlights will include measurement of isotopic signatures in the methane on the largest bodies, discovery of three distinct spectral groups among the smaller bodies that likely map to ice retention lines in the early Solar System, irradiation chemistry on intermediate sized (D~1000 km) bodies, spectral support for binary formation from streaming instabilities, and spectra of Trojan asteroids, which are thought to be KBOs that were scattered inward and stored at 5.2 AU for 4.5 Gyr.
Bio:
Dr. Emery applies the techniques of astronomical reflection and emission spectroscopy and spectrophotometry of primitive and icy bodies in the near- (0.8 to 5.0 microns) and mid-infrared (5 to 50 microns) to investigate the formation and evolution of the Solar System and the distribution of organic material. The Jupiter Trojan asteroids have been a strong focus of his research, and he also regularly observes Kuiper Belt objects, icy satellites, and other asteroid groups to understand the state of their surfaces as related to these topics. Along with telescopic observations, he contributes to Solar System exploration as a science team member on the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, the Lucy Trojan asteroid flyby mission, and the NEO Surveyor Mission infrared telescope mission.
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2024-03-18T16:00:002024-03-18T17:00:00Emerging Views of the Kuiper Belt from JWSTEvent Information:
Abstract:
The Kuiper Belt (also called Trans-Neptunian region) is a large population of sub-planet-sized beyond the orbit of Neptune. These bodies provide windows into conditions of the outer solar nebula, the process of planet growth and differentiation in icy bodies, and current dynamics and dynamical evolution of the Solar System. Mapping of their orbits has revealed distinct dynamical structures that indicate that bodies in the Kuiper Belt have been moved and shuffled by significant outward migration of Uranus and Neptune, complicating the task of uncovering links between composition and nebular conditions. Ground- based visible to near-infrared (VNIR; 0.4 to 2.5 microns) spectra of the largest bodies (Pluto, Eris, Makemake) are dominated by methane. VNIR spectra of smaller (and therefore fainter) Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) generally have fairly low S/N, precluding detailed compositional analysis.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) opens a new era in spectral observations of KBO. The NIRSpec instrument extends spectral observations to 5.3 microns, a region that includes strong fundamental vibrational modes of many ices and organics of thought to populate these surfaces, and the sensitivity, even in this new wavelength range, is extraordinary. In this talk, I will present results of spectroscopy of KBOs and related populations from the first year of JWST observations. These highlights will include measurement of isotopic signatures in the methane on the largest bodies, discovery of three distinct spectral groups among the smaller bodies that likely map to ice retention lines in the early Solar System, irradiation chemistry on intermediate sized (D~1000 km) bodies, spectral support for binary formation from streaming instabilities, and spectra of Trojan asteroids, which are thought to be KBOs that were scattered inward and stored at 5.2 AU for 4.5 Gyr.
Bio:
Dr. Emery applies the techniques of astronomical reflection and emission spectroscopy and spectrophotometry of primitive and icy bodies in the near- (0.8 to 5.0 microns) and mid-infrared (5 to 50 microns) to investigate the formation and evolution of the Solar System and the distribution of organic material. The Jupiter Trojan asteroids have been a strong focus of his research, and he also regularly observes Kuiper Belt objects, icy satellites, and other asteroid groups to understand the state of their surfaces as related to these topics. Along with telescopic observations, he contributes to Solar System exploration as a science team member on the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, the Lucy Trojan asteroid flyby mission, and the NEO Surveyor Mission infrared telescope mission.
Learn More:
Read his faculty bio on the Northern Arizona University Astronomy & Planetary Science page
Find our more about his experience as a planetary astronomer hereEvent Location:
HENN 318
