Evidence for two populations of classical transneptunian objects: The strong inclination dependence of classical binaries

Noll, K. S.; Grundy, W. M.; Stephens, Denise C.; Levison, Harold F.; Kern, S.

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.10.022

Cited by 143 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Four of the six TNBs belong to the dynam ically "Cold" Classical disk (see Table 1). These four all have minimum albedos of 0.09 or high er, consistent with the recent finding that Cold Classical objects are characterized by elevated al bedos (Brucker et al 2009) in addition to their red colors and high rates of binarity (e.g., Dores soundiram et al 2008;Noll et al 2008b). The other two objects, both having more excited helio centric orbits, are found to have lower albedos.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 85%

Mutual orbits and masses of six transneptunian binaries

Grundy

Noll

Buie

et al. 2009

Icarus

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We present Hubble Space Telescope observations of six binary transneptunian systems: 2000 QL 251 , 2003 TJ 58 , 2001 XR 254 , 1999 OJ 4 , (134860) 2000 OJ 67 , and 2004 . The mutual orbits of these systems are found to have periods ranging from 22 to 137 days, semimajor axes ranging from 2360 to 10500 km, and eccentricities ranging from 0.09 to 0.55. These orbital parameters enable estimation of system masses ranging from 0.2 to 9.7  10 18 kg. For reason able assumptions of bulk density (0.5 to 2.0 g cm 3 ), the masses can be combined with visible photometry to constrain sizes and albedos. The resulting albedos are consistent with an emer ging picture of the dynamically "Cold" Classical subpopulation having relatively high albedos, compared with comparablysized objects on more dynamically excited orbits.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 85%

Mutual orbits and masses of six transneptunian binaries

Grundy

Noll

Buie

et al. 2009

Icarus

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“…Another division is made in the inclination/eccentricity space. Although there is no dynamical separation, there seems to be two distinct but partly overlapping inclination distributions with the low-i "cold" classicals, limited to the main classical belt, showing different average albedo (Grundy et al 2005;Brucker et al 2009), color (Trujillo & Brown 2002), luminosity function , and frequency of binary systems (Noll et al 2008) than the high-i "hot" classicals, which has a wider inclination distribution. Furthermore, models based on recent surveys suggest that there is considerable sub-structure within the main classical belt (Petit et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…The horizontal line marks the limit of dynamically cold and hot classicals according to our dynamical analysis using the Gladman system. * Denotes a known binary system (Noll et al 2008).…”

Section: Herschel Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“TNOs are Cool”: A survey of the trans-Neptunian region

Vilenius

Kiss

Mommert

et al. 2012

A&A

117

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Context. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNO) represent the leftovers of the formation of the solar system. Their physical properties provide constraints to the models of formation and evolution of the various dynamical classes of objects in the outer solar system. Aims. Based on a sample of 19 classical TNOs we determine radiometric sizes, geometric albedos and beaming parameters. Our sample is composed of both dynamically hot and cold classicals. We study the correlations of diameter and albedo of these two subsamples with each other and with orbital parameters, spectral slopes and colors. Methods. We have done three-band photometric observations with Herschel/PACS and we use a consistent method for data reduction and aperture photometry of this sample to obtain monochromatic flux densities at 70.0, 100.0 and 160.0 μm. Additionally, we use Spitzer/MIPS flux densities at 23.68 and 71.42 μm when available, and we present new Spitzer flux densities of eight targets. We derive diameters and albedos with the near-Earth asteroid thermal model (NEATM). As auxiliary data we use reexamined absolute visual magnitudes from the literature and data bases, part of which have been obtained by ground based programs in support of our Herschel key program. Results. We have determined for the first time radiometric sizes and albedos of eight classical TNOs, and refined previous size and albedo estimates or limits of 11 other classicals. The new size estimates of 2002 MS 4 and 120347 Salacia indicate that they are among the 10 largest TNOs known. Our new results confirm the recent findings that there are very diverse albedos among the classical TNOs and that cold classicals possess a high average albedo (0.17 ± 0.04). Diameters of classical TNOs strongly correlate with orbital inclination in our sample. We also determine the bulk densities of six binary TNOs.

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“…The first of these is the classical belt, consisting of a dynamically cold population at low inclination and a dynamically excited (hot) population at inclinations larger than ∼5 • . Besides evidence for these two populations in the inclination distribution (Brown 2001), they are also apparently distinct in eccentricity ), color (Peixinho et al 2008), absolute magnitude (Levison & Stern 2001), albedos (Brucker et al 2009), binary fraction (Noll et al 2008), and differential size distribution (Fraser et al 2010). A second population is inherently unstable on ∼Gyr timescales and is known as scattered disk objects, since they are in orbits that are scattering off of Neptune, usually with perihelia below ∼35-40 AU.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Collisional Families in the Kuiper Belt

Marcus

Ragozzine

Murray-Clay

et al. 2011

ApJ

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The identification and characterization of numerous collisional families-clusters of bodies with a common collisional origin-in the asteroid belt has added greatly to the understanding of asteroid belt formation and evolution. More recent study has also led to an appreciation of physical processes that had previously been neglected (e.g., the Yarkovsky effect). Collisions have certainly played an important role in the evolution of the Kuiper Belt as well, though only one collisional family has been identified in that region to date, around the dwarf planet Haumea. In this paper, we combine insights into collisional families from numerical simulations with the current observational constraints on the dynamical structure of the Kuiper Belt to investigate the ideal sizes and locations for identifying collisional families. We find that larger progenitors (r ∼ 500 km) result in more easily identifiable families, given the difficulty in identifying fragments of smaller progenitors in magnitude-limited surveys, despite their larger spread and less frequent occurrence. However, even these families do not stand out well from the background. Identifying families as statistical overdensities is much easier than characterizing families by distinguishing individual members from interlopers. Such identification seems promising, provided the background population is well known. In either case, families will also be much easier to study where the background population is small, i.e., at high inclinations. Overall, our results indicate that entirely different techniques for identifying families will be needed for the Kuiper Belt, and we provide some suggestions.

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Evidence for two populations of classical transneptunian objects: The strong inclination dependence of classical binaries

Cited by 143 publications

References 24 publications

Mutual orbits and masses of six transneptunian binaries

Mutual orbits and masses of six transneptunian binaries

“TNOs are Cool”: A survey of the trans-Neptunian region

Identifying Collisional Families in the Kuiper Belt

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