Primordial Origin of Methane on Eris and Makemake Supported by D/H Ratios
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866912283877179392 |
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| author | Mousis, Olivier Werlen, Aaron Couzinou, Tom Benest Schneeberger, Antoine |
| author_facet | Mousis, Olivier Werlen, Aaron Couzinou, Tom Benest Schneeberger, Antoine |
| contents | Deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen, is a key tracer of the formation of the Solar System. Recent JWST observations have expanded the dataset of D/H ratios in methane on the KBOs Eris and Makemake, providing new insights into their origins. This study examines the elevated D/H ratios in methane on these KBOs in the context of protosolar nebula dynamics and chemistry, and proposes a primordial origin for the methane, in contrast to previous hypotheses suggesting abiotic production by internal heating. A time-dependent disk model coupled with a deuterium chemistry module was used to simulate the isotopic exchange between methane and hydrogen. Observational constraints, including the D/H ratio measured in methane in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, were used to refine the primordial D/H abundance. The simulations show that the observed D/H ratios in methane on Eris and Makemake are consistent with a primordial origin. The results suggest that methane on these KBOs likely originates from the protosolar nebula, similar to cometary methane, and was sequestered in solid form -- either as pure condensates or clathrates -- within their building blocks prior to accretion. These results provide a { simple} explanation for the high D/H ratios in methane on Eris and Makemake, without the need to invoke internal production mechanisms. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_15652 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Primordial Origin of Methane on Eris and Makemake Supported by D/H Ratios Mousis, Olivier Werlen, Aaron Couzinou, Tom Benest Schneeberger, Antoine Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen, is a key tracer of the formation of the Solar System. Recent JWST observations have expanded the dataset of D/H ratios in methane on the KBOs Eris and Makemake, providing new insights into their origins. This study examines the elevated D/H ratios in methane on these KBOs in the context of protosolar nebula dynamics and chemistry, and proposes a primordial origin for the methane, in contrast to previous hypotheses suggesting abiotic production by internal heating. A time-dependent disk model coupled with a deuterium chemistry module was used to simulate the isotopic exchange between methane and hydrogen. Observational constraints, including the D/H ratio measured in methane in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, were used to refine the primordial D/H abundance. The simulations show that the observed D/H ratios in methane on Eris and Makemake are consistent with a primordial origin. The results suggest that methane on these KBOs likely originates from the protosolar nebula, similar to cometary methane, and was sequestered in solid form -- either as pure condensates or clathrates -- within their building blocks prior to accretion. These results provide a { simple} explanation for the high D/H ratios in methane on Eris and Makemake, without the need to invoke internal production mechanisms. |
| title | Primordial Origin of Methane on Eris and Makemake Supported by D/H Ratios |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.15652 |