Constraints on Quaoar's rings and atmosphere from JWST/NIRCam observations of a stellar occultation
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2025
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| author | Proudfoot, Benjamin Holler, Bryan Arimatsu, Ko Rommel, Flavia Collyer, Cameron Fernández-Valenzuela, Estela |
| author_facet | Proudfoot, Benjamin Holler, Bryan Arimatsu, Ko Rommel, Flavia Collyer, Cameron Fernández-Valenzuela, Estela |
| contents | Observations of stellar occultations have revealed that small bodies are capable of hosting ring systems. The trans-Neptunian object (TNO) Quaoar, is the host of an enigmatic ring system, with two rings located well-outside the Roche limit. To better understand these structures, we observed a stellar occultation by Quaoar and its rings using the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) NIRCam instrument. Our observations detect both known rings, although Q2R -- the inner known ring -- is not detected on both sides of Quaoar, showing that it has substantial azimuthal variations similar to Q1R -- the outer ring. We also fit a model of the ring radii and pole orientation of the ring system, which confirms that Quaoar's spin-orbit and Weywot's mean motion resonances (especially Weywot's 6:1) may play a role in the rings' confinement and stability. In addition to examination of Quaoar's ring system, we also use our observations to place upper limits on a putative CH$_4$ atmosphere around Quaoar, finding that no global atmosphere with surface pressure $>1$ nbar can exist (at 3$σ$ significance). The lack of atmosphere supports the hypothesis that atmospheric processes are not the source of Quaoar's recently discovered inventory of light hydrocarbons. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_07898 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Constraints on Quaoar's rings and atmosphere from JWST/NIRCam observations of a stellar occultation Proudfoot, Benjamin Holler, Bryan Arimatsu, Ko Rommel, Flavia Collyer, Cameron Fernández-Valenzuela, Estela Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Observations of stellar occultations have revealed that small bodies are capable of hosting ring systems. The trans-Neptunian object (TNO) Quaoar, is the host of an enigmatic ring system, with two rings located well-outside the Roche limit. To better understand these structures, we observed a stellar occultation by Quaoar and its rings using the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) NIRCam instrument. Our observations detect both known rings, although Q2R -- the inner known ring -- is not detected on both sides of Quaoar, showing that it has substantial azimuthal variations similar to Q1R -- the outer ring. We also fit a model of the ring radii and pole orientation of the ring system, which confirms that Quaoar's spin-orbit and Weywot's mean motion resonances (especially Weywot's 6:1) may play a role in the rings' confinement and stability. In addition to examination of Quaoar's ring system, we also use our observations to place upper limits on a putative CH$_4$ atmosphere around Quaoar, finding that no global atmosphere with surface pressure $>1$ nbar can exist (at 3$σ$ significance). The lack of atmosphere supports the hypothesis that atmospheric processes are not the source of Quaoar's recently discovered inventory of light hydrocarbons. |
| title | Constraints on Quaoar's rings and atmosphere from JWST/NIRCam observations of a stellar occultation |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.07898 |