Light Curves of Dwarf Plutonian Planets and other Large Kuiper Belt Objects: Their Rotations, Phase Functions and Absolute Magnitudes

Abstract

(Abridged) I report new light curves and determine the rotations and phase functions of several large Kuiper Belt objects, including the dwarf planet Eris (2003 UB313). (120348) 2004 TY364 shows a light curve which if double-peaked has a period of 11.70+-0.01 hours and peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.22+-0.02 magnitudes. (84922) 2003 VS2 has a well defined double-peaked light curve of 7.41+-0.02 hours with a 0.21+-0.02 magnitude range. (126154) 2001 YH140 shows variability of 0.21+-0.04 magnitudes with a possible 13.25+-0.2 hour single-peaked period. The seven new KBOs in the sample which show no discernible variations within the uncertainties on short rotational time scales are 2001 UQ18, (55565) 2002 AW197, (119979) 2002 WC19, (120132) 2003 FY128, (136108) Eris 2003 UB313, (90482) Orcus 2004 DW, and (90568) 2004 GV9. The three medium to large sized Kuiper Belt objects 2004 TY364, Orcus and 2004 GV9 show fairly steep linear phase curves (~0.18 to 0.26 mags per degree) between phase angles of 0.1 and 1.5 degrees. The extremely large dwarf planet Eris (2003 UB313) shows a shallower phase curve (0.09+-0.03 mags per degree) which is more similar to the other known dwarf planet Pluto. It appears the surface properties of the largest dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt maybe different than the smaller Kuiper Belt objects. This may have to do with the larger objects ability to hold more volatile ices as well as sustain atmospheres. The absolute magnitudes obtained using the measured phase slopes are a few tenths of magnitudes different from those given by the MPC.

arXiv comment15 pages, 4 Tables, 32 Figures: Astronomical Journal in press

References in corpus (13)

• Properties of the Trans-Neptunian Belt: Statistics From the CFHT Survey
• Discovery of a planetary-sized object in the scattered Kuiper belt
• Photometric Observations Constraining the Size, Shape, and Albedo of 2003 El61, a Rapidly Rotating, Pluto-Sized Object in the Kuiper Belt
• Time-Resolved Photometry of Kuiper Belt Objects: Rotations, Shapes and Phase Functions
• The Diverse Solar Phase Curves of Distant Icy Bodies. Part I: Photometric Observations of 18 Trans-Neptunian Objects, 7 Centaurs, and Nereid
• The Surface of 2003EL61 in the Near Infrared
• Extreme Kuiper Belt Object 2001 QG298 and the Fraction of Contact Binaries
• Physical Properties of Trans-Neptunian Object (20000) Varuna
• Direct measurement of the size of 2003 UB313 from the Hubble Space Telescope
• Lightcurves of 20--100 kilometer Kuiper Belt Objects using the Hubble Space Telescope
• The Albedo, Size, and Density of Binary Kuiper Belt Object (47171) 1999 TC36
• Analysis of the rotational properties of Kuiper belt objects
• Time series photometry of the dwarf planet ERIS (2003 UB313)

Cited by in corpus (33)

• "TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region X. Analysis of classical Kuiper belt objects from Herschel and Spitzer observations
• "TNOs are Cool": A Survey of the Transneptunian Region IV. Size/albedo characterization of 15 scattered disk and detached objects observed with Herschel Space Observatory-PACS
• "TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region VI. Herschel/PACS observations and thermal modeling of 19 classical Kuiper belt objects
• Short-term variability of a sample of 29 trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs
• Transneptunian objects and Centaurs from light curves
• High Precision Photometry of Extreme KBO 2003 EL61
• The size, density, and formation of the Orcus-Vanth system in the Kuiper belt
• Methane, ammonia, and their irradiation products at the surface of an intermediate-size KBO? A portrait of Plutino (90482) Orcus
• Rotational properties of the binary and non-binary populations in the Trans-Neptunian belt
• Lightcurves of 32 Large Transneptunian Objects
• The Youthful Appearance of the 2003 EL61 Collisional Family
• The Plutino population: An Abundance of contact binaries
• Optical and Infrared Colors of Transneptunian Objects Observed with HST
• Large size and slow rotation of the trans-Neptunian object (225088) 2007 OR10 discovered from Herschel and K2 observations
• A Southern Sky and Galactic Plane Survey for Bright Kuiper Belt Objects
• The La Silla - QUEST Kuiper Belt Survey
• A stellar occultation by Vanth, a satellite of (90482) Orcus
• A Statistical Review of Light Curves and the Prevalence of Contact Binaries in the Kuiper Belt
• Rotational properties of the Haumea family members and candidates: Short-term variability
• Tentative Detection of the Rotation of Eris
• Ongoing Resurfacing of KBO Eris by Volatile Transport in Local, Collisional, Sublimation Atmosphere Regime
• Photometry of Centaurs and trans-Neptunian objects: 2060 Chiron (1977 UB), 10199 Chariklo (1997 CU26), 38628 Huya (2000 EB173), 28978 Ixion (2001 KX76), and 90482 Orcus (2004 DW)
• A possible dynamically Cold Classical contact binary: (126719) 2002 CC249
• The trans-Neptunian object (84922) 2003 VS2 through stellar occultations
• A mid-term astrometric and photometric study of Trans-Neptunian Object (90482) Orcus
• Tidally locked rotation of the dwarf planet (136199) Eris discovered from long-term ground based and space photometry
• Polarimetry of the dwarf planet (136199) Eris
• TNOs are Cool: a survey of the Transneptunian Region XII. Thermal light curves of Haumea, 2003 VS2 and 2003 AZ84 with Herschel Space Observatory-PACS
• The multichord stellar occultation on 2019 October 22 by the trans-Neptunian object (84922) 2003 VS${}_2$
• Phase Curves of Nine Trojan Asteroids over a Wide Range of Phase Angles
• The Albedos, Sizes, Colors and Satellites of Dwarf Planets Compared with Newly Measured Dwarf Planet 2013 FY27
• Measuring the Sizes, Shapes, Surface Features and Rotations of Solar System Objects with Interferometry
• The Rotational Light Curve of (79360) Sila-Nunam, an Eclipsing Binary in the Kuiper Belt