Identify the origin of the unexplained 11.748 h frequency peak in Quaoar’s K2 periodogram

Identify the physical or instrumental origin of the secondary 11.748 h frequency peak detected in the Lomb–Scargle periodogram of Quaoar’s Kepler/K2 light curve and determine whether it corresponds to a real rotational signature or an artifact.

Background

The K2 data confirm a rotation-related periodicity near 8.88 h consistent with previously reported values. However, the periodogram also shows a second peak at 11.748 h, not reported in other datasets.

The authors explicitly note that they could not identify the source of this second peak, leaving its nature unresolved. Clarifying whether this peak is due to astrophysical variability, photometric systematics, or data reduction artifacts would improve confidence in Quaoar’s rotational characterization.