The Complex Rotational Light Curve of (385446) Manwë–Thorondor, a Multicomponent Eclipsing System in the Kuiper Belt

Abstract

Abstract Kuiper Belt Object (385446) Manwë–Thorondor is a multiobject system with mutual events predicted to occur from 2014 to 2019. To detect the events, we observed the system at 4 epochs (UT 2016 August 25 and 26, 2017 July 22 and 25, 2017 November 9, and 2018 October 6) in g, r, and VR bands using the 4 m SOAR and the 8.1 m Gemini South telescopes at Cerro Pachón, Chile, and Lowell Observatory’s 4.3 m Discovery Channel Telescope at Happy Jack, Arizona. These dates overlap the uncertainty range (±0.5 day) for four inferior events (Thorondor eclipsing Manwë). We clearly observe variability for the unresolved system with a double-peaked period 11.88190 ± 0.00005 hr and ∼0.5 mag amplitude together with much longer-term variability. Using a multicomponent model, we simultaneously fit our observations and earlier photometry measured separately for Manwë and Thorondor with the Hubble Space Telescope. Our fit suggests Manwë is bilobed, close to the “barbell” shape expected for a strengthless body with density ∼0.8 g cm−3 in hydrostatic equilibrium. For Manwë, we thereby derive maximum width to length ratio ∼0.30, surface area equivalent to a sphere of diameter 190 km, geometric albedo 0.06, mass 1.4 × 1018 kg, and spin axis oriented ∼75° from Earth’s line of sight. Changes in Thorondor’s brightness by ∼0.6 mag with a ∼300 day period may account for the system’s long-term variability. Mutual events with unexpectedly shallow depth and short duration may account for residuals to the fit. The system is complex, providing a challenging puzzle for future modeling efforts.