Detection of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the stratified surface of Charon with JWST.

ABSTRACT: Charon, Pluto's largest moon, has been extensively studied, with research focusing on its primitive composition and changes due to radiation and photolysis. However, spectral data have so far been limited to wavelengths below 2.5 μm, leaving key aspects unresolved. Here we present the detection of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) on the surface of Charon's northern hemisphere, using JWST data. These detections add to the known chemical inventory that includes crystalline water ice, ammonia-bearing species, and tholin-like darkening constituents previously revealed by ground- and space-based observations. The H₂O₂ presence indicates active radiolytic/photolytic processing of the water ice-rich surface by solar ultraviol

SUBMITTER: Protopapa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11448499 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature