Physical Diversity of Interstellar Objects: Comparing 1I, 2I, and 3I


 


Interstellar objects reveal a spectrum of physical states shaped by formation environment and thermal history.
A comparison of 1I/‘Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov, and 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) highlights this diversity and refines our understanding of extrasolar small bodies.

Full text (open access):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/398431066

The first confirmed interstellar object, 1I/‘Oumuamua, exhibited no resolved coma and minimal volatile signatures, presenting an asteroid-like appearance despite its interstellar trajectory. In contrast, 2I/Borisov displayed strong cometary activity, including prominent gas and dust production, indicating a volatile-rich composition analogous to Solar System comets. These two discoveries initially framed interstellar objects as either inert or highly active extremes.

3I/ATLAS occupies a physically intermediate regime within this emerging continuum. Observations reveal a resolved but moderate coma, confirming cometary activity without the intense outgassing seen in 2I/Borisov. This intermediate behavior suggests partial volatile retention and provides constraints on accretion conditions, thermal processing, and volatile loss in extrasolar protoplanetary disks. The presence of such diversity among a small sample underscores that interstellar objects cannot be described by a single physical archetype.

Comparative analysis of 1I, 2I, and 3I demonstrates that interstellar objects represent a heterogeneous population shaped by varied formation regions and dynamical histories. As detection capabilities improve and sample sizes increase, this diversity will enable population-level inferences about extrasolar planetesimal formation, ejection mechanisms, and compositional evolution across the Galaxy.

This article examines:

  • The contrasting physical properties of 1I, 2I, and 3I
  • How activity levels reflect formation and thermal history
  • Why 3I/ATLAS bridges the inert–active spectrum
  • Implications of physical diversity for extrasolar planetesimal studies

Reference (APA 7):
Kodiyatar, N., & Shamala, A. (2025). Scientific understanding of 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1): Authentic data, observational insights, and information ethics. Nohil Kodiyatar & Abhay Shamala. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17851223

#InterstellarObjects #3IATLAS #PlanetaryScience #Astrophysics #ComparativePlanetology #ObservationalAstronomy #OpenScience


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