JWST Detects Enhanced Methane Outgassing on Centaur Chiron

JWST observations of Centaur 2060 Chiron reveal anomalously enhanced methane outgassing, suggesting a subsurface origin beneath the water ice and carbon dioxide bearing surface. High-resolution JWST spectroscopy detected methane and carbon dioxide gas emission with distinct coma spatial morphologies and production rates of (1.55±0.04)x10^27 molecules s-1 and (1.01±0.06)x10^26 molecules s-1, respectively. The surface spectrum displays spectral signatures attributed to water ice, carbon dioxide, CO, and refractory organic-rich material, while lacking detectable methane ice absorption bands. This suggests that carbon dioxide production is sustained by direct surface sublimation, whereas methane originates from the subsurface. The absence of measurable CO emission despite the presence of solid-state CO implies that any surviving primordial CO reservoir remains thermally inaccessible at greater depth below the methane. This inferred volatile stratification may result from long-term thermal evolution or potentially partial differentiation. Chiron differs markedly from other active small bodies, where CO production typically dominates over methane, indicating that Centaur activity may be driven by a broader range of volatile and thermophysical processes than predicted by canonical models. These findings have implications for understanding the composition and evolution of Centaurs and the delivery of volatiles to the inner solar system.

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