Ancient ice may still exist in distant space objects: Study

A study published in the journal Icarus sheds new light on the preservation of volatile substances like carbon monoxide (CO) in distant celestial bodies.

Astronomers think that there are millions of small, icy objects in the Kuiper Belt - a large region in the cold, outer reaches of our solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune. The study uses Kuiper Belt Object 486958 Arrokoth as a case study to propose that many Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) - remnants left over from the formation of the solar system - could still retain their original volatile ices, challenging previous notions about the evolutionary path of these ancient entities.

Previous models for predicting the fate of volatiles in KBOs have underestimated the longevity of these substances, relying on flawed assumptions or cumbersome simulations.

The new study proposes a more straightforward and efficient approach for understanding how gas escape through porous rocks. The research suggests that KBOs, such as Arrokoth, are capable of preserving their volatile ices over billions of years, thereby creating a type of subsurface atmosphere that hinders the further loss of ice.

This study challenges current predictions and provides new avenues for understanding the nature of comets and how they are formed. The presence of volatile ices in KBOs supports the hypothesis that these objects are "ice bombs," which become active and exhibit cometary behaviour when their orbit brings them closer to the sun.

This theory may offer explanations for events like the vigorous outburst activities observed in comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, potentially revolutionizing humans of comets.

"I want to emphasize that the key thing is that we corrected a deep error in the physical model people had been assuming for decades for these very cold and old objects. This study could be the initial mover for re-evaluating the comet interior evolution and activity theory," SETI Institute senior research scientist Dr. Orkan Umurhan, the co-author of the study, said in a statement.