Sub-millimeter observations of Centaurs and TNOs from the Herschel space telescope

Transneptunian Objects (TNOs) are bodies populating the Kuiper Belt and they are believed to retain the most pristine and least altered material of the Solar System. The Kuiper Belt region seems to be the source both of short period comets and of the Centaurs, the objects located between Jupiter and Neptune with unstable orbits. Up to date, more than 1400 TNOs and Centaurs have been discovered. Their study reveal a richness of orbital and physical properties. TNOs cover a wide range of intrinsic colours from slightly bluish slopes to the reddest gradients (>50%/100 nm for Pholus) known in the solar system [1]. Spectroscopy confirms the presence of ices of several kinds [2]. Essentially, objects can be classified as (i) water-ice rich (about 30 objects) (ii) volatile-ice rich (methane and perhaps nitrogen on bright objects such as Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Sedna) and (iii) featureless, although a couple of them show additional features, perhaps due to methanol, or ammonia. While the dynamical architecture of the Kuiper Belt region is becoming relatively clear, the physical properties of the objects are only beginning to be revealed. In order to better investigate the albedo, size distribution and thermal properties of TNOs and Centaurs an Open Time Key Program entitled TNOs are Cool: A survey of the Transneptunian Region" (PI T. Müller, Co-PIs E. Lellouch, H. Boehnhardt) was submitted to the Herschel space telescope [3], whose observational spectral range cover the thermal flux peaks of TNOs. This proposal has been awarded 372.7 hours to perform radiometric measurements of a large TNOs/Centaurs sample of about 140 objects. In this work we present the results of the combined SPIRE and PACS instruments observations for the brightest targets of our sample. The dwarf planet Haumea, 4 TNOs (Huya, Orcus, 2002 UX25, and 2002 TC302) and two Centaurs (Chiron and Chariklo) were observed over 6 bands (70, 100, 160, 250, 350 and 500 micron) with the Herschel spacecraft. These data over a wide wavelength range allow greater constraints to be made to thermal models. The size, albedo, and thermal properties, including thermal inertia and surface emissivity, derived from the thermal modelling of the targets spectral energy distribution will be presented.