The Properties and Origin of Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth's Large Mounds

S. A. Stern; O. L. White; W. M. Grundy; B. A. Keeney; J. D. Hofgartner; D. Nesvorný; W. B. McKinnon; D. C. Richardson; J. C. Marohnic; A. J. Verbiscer; S. D. Benecchi; P. M. Schenk; J. M. Moore; The New Horizons Geology and Geophysics Investigation Team

doi:10.3847/PSJ/acf317

The Planetary Science Journal (Jan 2023)

The Properties and Origin of Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth's Large Mounds

S. A. Stern,
O. L. White,
W. M. Grundy,
B. A. Keeney,
J. D. Hofgartner,
D. Nesvorný,
W. B. McKinnon,
D. C. Richardson,
J. C. Marohnic,
A. J. Verbiscer,
S. D. Benecchi,
P. M. Schenk,
J. M. Moore,
The New Horizons Geology and Geophysics Investigation Team

Affiliations

S. A. Stern: ORCiD; Southwest Research Institute , Boulder, CO 80302, USA ; [email protected]
O. L. White: ORCiD; SETI Institute , Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; NASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
W. M. Grundy: ORCiD; Lowell Observatory , Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
B. A. Keeney: ORCiD; Southwest Research Institute , Boulder, CO 80302, USA ; [email protected]
J. D. Hofgartner: ORCiD; Southwest Research Institute , Boulder, CO 80302, USA ; [email protected]
D. Nesvorný: ORCiD; Southwest Research Institute , Boulder, CO 80302, USA ; [email protected]
W. B. McKinnon: ORCiD; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and McDonnell Center for Space Science Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
D. C. Richardson: ORCiD; Deptartment of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
J. C. Marohnic: ORCiD; Deptartment of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
A. J. Verbiscer: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
S. D. Benecchi: ORCiD; Planetary Science Institute , Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
P. M. Schenk: ORCiD; Lunar and Planetary Institute , Houston, TX 77058, USA
J. M. Moore: ORCiD; Space Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
The New Horizons Geology and Geophysics Investigation Team

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acf317
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 4, no. 9
p. 176

Abstract

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We report on a study of the mounds that dominate the appearance of Kuiper Belt Object (486958) Arrokoth's larger lobe, named Wenu. We compare the geological context of these mounds and measure and intercompare their shapes, sizes/orientations, reflectance, and colors. We find the mounds are broadly self-similar in many respects and interpret them as the original building blocks of Arrokoth. It remains unclear why these building blocks are so similar in size—and this represents a new constraint and challenge for solar system formation models. We then discuss the implications of this interpretation.

Published in The Planetary Science Journal

ISSN: 2632-3338 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2632-3338

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