Ancient Ice

Distant Celestial Bodies Might Still Harbor Ancient Ice: Research Reveals

Recent research featured in the journal Icarus has unveiled intriguing insights into how volatile elements such as carbon monoxide (CO) are conserved within distant astronomical bodies.
Astronomers believe that the Kuiper Belt—a vast, chilly zone beyond Neptune’s orbit—is home to countless icy, minor celestial bodies. This investigation, focusing on the Kuiper Belt Object 486958 Arrokoth, suggests that numerous Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), relics from the solar system’s inception, might still hold their original volatile ices. This idea contradicts earlier theories about these ancient objects’ developmental trajectories.
Past methodologies for assessing volatiles’ fate in KBOs might have not fully grasped the durability of these compounds, often based on imprecise conjectures or complex simulations.
Offering a simpler and more effective method for analyzing how gases might escape from porous materials, this research indicates that KBOs like Arrokoth have the potential to maintain their volatile ices for billions of years. This process effectively creates a kind of subsurface atmosphere, which slows down the loss of ice.
By challenging existing models, this study opens new paths for understanding comets’ nature and formation. The discovery that KBOs contain volatile ices lends weight to the idea that these bodies are “ice bombs,” becoming active and displaying comet-like behavior as their orbits draw them nearer to the sun.
This concept could shed light on phenomena such as the intense outburst activities seen in comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, potentially reshaping our understanding of comets.
Dr. Orkan Umurhan, a senior research scientist at the SETI Institute and co-author of the study, highlighted the significance of their findings, “It’s crucial to recognize that we’ve corrected a fundamental mistake in the physical models that have been assumed for decades for these very cold and ancient objects. This research could pave the way for a reevaluation of theories regarding the internal evolution and activity of comets.”

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