A DiSCo JWST portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects

A DiSCo JWST portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A DiSCo JWST portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects Noemi Pinilla-Alonso, Rosario Brunetto, Mario N De Pra, Bryan J. Holler, and 16 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5485727/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The detection of molecules on the coldest and outermost objects in our Solar System has long been limited by the terrestrial atmosphere and the sensitivity of the available instrumentation. However, near-infrared observations by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have now provided an unprecedented view of the molecular diversity on the surfaces of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Using the low spectral resolution PRISM mode on the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) as part of the Cycle 1 Large Program “Discovering the Surface Composition of trans-Neptunian objects" (DiSCo-TNOs), we report the detection of several molecular ices throughout the TNO population, including H 2 O, CO 2 , 13 CO 2 , CO, CH 3 OH, and complex molecules and refractory materials containing aliphatic C–H, C≡N, O–H, and N–H bonds. As a result of the imprint that these molecules leave on the spectra, three main compositional groups consistently emerge from multiple independent cluster analysis efforts. Our results unlock the long-standing question of the interpretation of color diversity providing the much-needed compositional information. The marked separation of the three spectral clusters reveals sharp variations in the surface molecular constituents. The C / O and ( CH + NH )/( C + O ) ratios on the surface of TNOs are the primary indicators of the spectral differences among the three TNO compositional groups that we observe today. We propose that these objects are fossil remnants of icy planetesimals, and that the three compositional groups provide a picture of the ice retention lines in the Solar System that likely occurred in the outer protoplanetary disk, possibly just before a major planetary migration. Planetary Science Solar System Science Ice lines Ices and volatiles Surface Composition Spectroscopy NIR James Webb Space Telescope Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files SuppInfo.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5485727","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":380408376,"identity":"ec02c12c-fe74-4528-a125-44be47492b6a","order_by":0,"name":"Noemi Pinilla-Alonso","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAuElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACxgaGhAILBn4g8wMDAzOxWgwkGCQbGBhnEKkFBIBaDA4Qq8VcurntwQMDCXnjG8kPGxgqrBMbCGmxnHOw3QDoMMNtN9IMGxjOpBPWYnAjsU0CqIVx240c9geMbYeJ12K/eUYOYwPjPxK0JG6QAGlpIEbLnYNgLckzzjwzbEg4lm5MWMvt9meSPypsbPvbgSH2ocZalqAWBglkTgJB5RhaRsEoGAWjYBRgAwB+oT/KyW+PXQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2770-7896","institution":"FSI, University f Central Florida and ICTEA, Universidad de Oviedo","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Noemi","middleName":"","lastName":"Pinilla-Alonso","suffix":""},{"id":380408377,"identity":"dd4cc36b-c43d-47ca-a3ac-f276baa9beca","order_by":1,"name":"Rosario Brunetto","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universite Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Orsay, France","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rosario","middleName":"","lastName":"Brunetto","suffix":""},{"id":380408378,"identity":"03694f4d-24f3-44d2-a551-1708cb5f1bf2","order_by":2,"name":"Mario N De Pra","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Florida Space Institute, University of Central Florida","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mario","middleName":"N","lastName":"De Pra","suffix":""},{"id":380408379,"identity":"b8b1bccd-dbe1-40c9-afad-bd6025c2e9d9","order_by":3,"name":"Bryan J. 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However, near-infrared observations by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have now provided an unprecedented view of the molecular diversity on the surfaces of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Using the low spectral resolution PRISM mode on the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) as part of the Cycle 1 Large Program “Discovering the Surface Composition of trans-Neptunian objects\" (DiSCo-TNOs), we report the detection of several molecular ices throughout the TNO population, including H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO, CO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003csup\u003e13\u003c/sup\u003eCO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e, CO, CH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003eOH, and complex molecules and refractory materials containing aliphatic C–H, C≡N, O–H, and N–H bonds. As a result of the imprint that these molecules leave on the spectra, three main compositional groups consistently emerge from multiple independent cluster analysis efforts. Our results unlock the long-standing question of the interpretation of color diversity providing the much-needed compositional information. The marked separation of the three spectral clusters reveals sharp variations in the surface molecular constituents. The \u003cem\u003eC\u003c/em\u003e/\u003cem\u003eO \u003c/em\u003eand (\u003cem\u003eCH \u003c/em\u003e+ \u003cem\u003eNH\u003c/em\u003e)/(\u003cem\u003eC \u003c/em\u003e+ \u003cem\u003eO\u003c/em\u003e) ratios on the surface of TNOs are the primary indicators of the spectral differences among the three TNO compositional groups that we observe today. 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