The Complex Rotational Light Curve of (385446) Manwë–Thorondor, a Multicomponent Eclipsing System in the Kuiper Belt

Rabinowitz, D.; Benecchi, Susan; Grundy, W. M.; Verbiscer, A.; Thirouin, A.

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab59d4

Cited by 2 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Thorondor system is strikingly similar to the Borasisi-Pabu system. Indeed, if we calculate Manwëʼs J 2 (based on the shape model from Rabinowitz et al 2019), we find a value very similar to Borasisi's. These objects may be part of a larger population of contact (or compact) binaries with oblique satellites.…”

Section: Discussion On the Inferred J 2 Of Borasisisupporting

confidence: 72%

“…TNBs, however, are formed differently and exhibit properties not seen in asteroid binaries. The closest comparison to Borasisi-Pabu is Manwë-Thorondor; Manwë is possibly a contact binary inclined to its mutual orbit by 27° (Rabinowitz et al 2019). Both are cold classicals.…”

Section: Discussion On the Inferred J 2 Of Borasisimentioning

confidence: 98%

“…First, and most simply, Borasisi is extremely flattened, and probably elongated, with a shape most likely resembling a contact binary. Contact binaries are common among the TNOs (Thirouin & Sheppard 2018Showalter et al 2021) and can be part of TNB systems (Rabinowitz et al 2019). With current constraints on the J 2 , it is difficult to say more about Borasisi's shape, but with narrowed uncertainties, detailed shape modeling may be able to distinguish between snowman (like Arrokoth) or peanut contact binaries (like Kleopatra; as in Marchis et al 2005b).…”

Section: Discussion On the Inferred J 2 Of Borasisimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another area where non-Keplerian analysis has significant potential for unique insight is in the detection of unknown components whether in "contact binaries" or simply closely separated objects ("compact binaries"). Many channels of evidence suggest that these are common in the TNO population, including light-curve studies (Thirouin & Sheppard 2018;Rabinowitz et al 2019;Thirouin & Sheppard 2019;Showalter et al 2021), occultations (Leiva et al 2020), and imaging from within the TNO population as enabled by the New Horizons spacecraft (Weaver et al 2022). Indeed, the only small TNO ever visited by a spacecraft, Arrokoth, was a contact binary (Stern et al 2019;McKinnon et al 2020).…”

Section: Unknown Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond Point Masses. II. Non-Keplerian Shape Effects Are Detectable in Several TNO Binaries

Proudfoot,

Ragozzine,

Thatcher

et al. 2024

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About 40 trans-Neptunian binaries (TNBs) have fully determined orbits with about 10 others being solved except for breaking the mirror ambiguity. Despite decades of study, almost all TNBs have only ever been analyzed with a model that assumes perfect Keplerian motion (e.g., two point masses). In reality, all TNB systems are non-Keplerian due to nonspherical shapes, possible presence of undetected system components, and/or solar perturbations. In this work, we focus on identifying candidates for detectable non-Keplerian motion based on sample of 45 well-characterized binaries. We use MultiMoon, a non-Keplerian Bayesian inference tool, to analyze published relative astrometry allowing for nonspherical shapes of each TNB system’s primary. We first reproduce the results of previous Keplerian fitting efforts with MultiMoon, which serves as a comparison for the non-Keplerian fits and confirms that these fits are not biased by the assumption of a Keplerian orbit. We unambiguously detect non-Keplerian motion in eight TNB systems across a range of primary radii, mutual orbit separations, and system masses. As a proof of concept for non-Keplerian fitting, we perform detailed fits for (66652) Borasisi-Pabu, possibly revealing a J 2 ≈ 0.44, implying Borasisi (and/or Pabu) may be a contact binary or an unresolved compact binary. However, full confirmation of this result will require new observations. This work begins the next generation of TNB analyses that go beyond the point mass assumption to provide unique and valuable information on the physical properties of TNBs with implications for their formation and evolution.

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Section: Discussion On the Inferred J 2 Of Borasisisupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussion On the Inferred J 2 Of Borasisimentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussion On the Inferred J 2 Of Borasisimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Unknown Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond Point Masses. II. Non-Keplerian Shape Effects Are Detectable in Several TNO Binaries

Proudfoot,

Ragozzine,

Thatcher

et al. 2024

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“…In Section 4, we report that 2013 FR 28 is a most likely contact binary, while 2003 SP 317 , 2004 SC 60 , 2006 CJ 69 , and 2013 BN 82 are likely contact binaries, and we also classify 1999 HT 11 , 2004 VE 131 , and 2014 OL 394 as potential contact binaries due to their variabilities. Rabinowitz et al (2020) suggest that the primary of Manwë-Thorondor is a contact binary. Because the lightcurve of Manwë-Thorondor is below the 0.9 mag limit and for consistency in this paper, we consider Manwë-Thorondor as a likely contact binary.…”

Section: Contact Binariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rotational Study of 5:3 and 7:4 Resonant Objects within the Main Classical Trans-Neptunian Belt

Thirouin,

Sheppard

2024

Planet. Sci. J.

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The 5:3 and 7:4 mean motion resonances of Neptune are at 42.3 and 43.7 au, respectively, and overlap with objects in the classical trans-Neptunian belt (Kuiper Belt). We report the complete/partial lightcurves of 13 and 14 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in the 5:3 and 7:4 resonances, respectively. We report a most likely contact binary in the 7:4 resonance, 2013 FR28, with a periodicity of 13.97 ± 0.04 hr and a lightcurve amplitude of 0.94 ± 0.02 mag. With a V-/U-shaped lightcurve, 2013 FR28 has one of the largest well-sampled TNO amplitudes observed with ground-based observations, comparable to the well-determined contact binary 2001 QG298. 2013 FR28 has a mass ratio q ∼ 1 with a density ρ ∼ 1 g cm−3. We find several objects with large amplitudes and classify 2004 SC60, 2006 CJ69, and 2013 BN82 as likely contact binaries and 2001 QF331, 2003 YW179, and 2015 FP345 as likely elongated objects. We observe the 17:9 resonant or classical object 2003 SP317 that we classify as a likely contact binary. A lower estimate of 10%–50% and 20%–55% for the fraction of (nearly) equal-sized contact binaries is calculated in the 5:3 and 7:4 resonances, respectively. Surface colors of 2004 SC60, 2013 BN82, 2014 OL394, and 2015 FP345 have been obtained. Including these colors with ones from the literature reveals that elongated objects and contact binaries share the same ultrared surface color, except Manwë–Thorondor and 2004 SC60. Not only are the colors of the 7:4 and 5:3 TNOs similar to the cold classicals, but we demonstrate that the rotational properties of the 5:3 and 7:4 resonants are similar to those of the cold classicals, inferring a clear link between these subpopulations.

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The Complex Rotational Light Curve of (385446) Manwë–Thorondor, a Multicomponent Eclipsing System in the Kuiper Belt

Cited by 2 publications

References 30 publications

Beyond Point Masses. II. Non-Keplerian Shape Effects Are Detectable in Several TNO Binaries

Beyond Point Masses. II. Non-Keplerian Shape Effects Are Detectable in Several TNO Binaries

Rotational Study of 5:3 and 7:4 Resonant Objects within the Main Classical Trans-Neptunian Belt

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