Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Charon: Possible Evidence for Cryovolcanism on Kuiper Belt Objects

We present the first reported adaptive optics spectra of Charon in the H and K bands, which examine the anti-Pluto and sub-Pluto hemispheres. The ice temperature is estimated at 40-50 K, based on the 1.65 μm feature of crystalline water ice. We obtain the most accurate profiles of the 2.21 μm feature and confirm that the feature is due to hydrated ammonia. We attribute hemispheric differences in the feature's profile to different hydration states. We calculate the rate at which crystalline water ice is amorphized by solar UV/visible radiation, finding that at the depths probed by H and K observations (≈350 μm), the e-folding time to amorphize ice is (3-5) × 10⁴ yr. This implies Charon's ice crystallized from a melt, or has been heated to ≳90 K, during the last ~10⁵ yr. The extent of the crystalline water ice and the short timescales involved argue that surface renewal is necessary, a conclusion reinforced by the presence of ammonia hydrates. We investigate possible mechanisms for surface renewal and conclude that cryovolcanism is the most likely.