Search Publications
Measurement of D/H and 13C/12C ratios in methane ice on Eris and Makemake: Evidence for internal activity
Lunine, J. I.; Emery, J. P.; Hammel, H. B. +13 more
James Webb Space Telescope's NIRSpec infrared imaging spectrometer observed the outer solar system dwarf planets Eris and Makemake in reflected sunlight at wavelengths spanning 1 through 5 µm. Both objects have high albedo surfaces that are rich in methane ice, with a texture that permits long optical path lengths through the ice for solar p…
A tale of 3 dwarf planets: Ices and organics on Sedna, Gonggong, and Quaoar from JWST spectroscopy
Lunine, J. I.; Emery, J. P.; Protopapa, S. +10 more
The dwarf planets Sedna, Gonggong, and Quaoar are interesting in being somewhat smaller than the methane-rich bodies of the Kuiper Belt (Pluto, Eris, Makemake), yet large enough to be spherical and to have possibly undergone interior melting and differentiation. They also reside on very different orbits, making them an ideal suite of bodies for un…
Moderate D/H ratios in methane ice on Eris and Makemake as evidence of hydrothermal or metamorphic processes in their interiors: Geochemical analysis
Grundy, William M.; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Glein, Christopher R. +7 more
Dwarf planets Eris and Makemake have surfaces bearing methane ice of unknown origin. This ice can provide important insights into the origin and evolution of volatiles in the outer solar system. Deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) ratios were recently determined from James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations of Eris and Makemake (Grundy et al., 2024b), …