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result(s) for
"Trans-Neptunian objects"
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To Pluto & beyond : the amazing voyage of New Horizons
\"[This book] introduces young readers to New Horizons, the space ship that NASA built to explore Pluto and the fringes of our solar system\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Prominent Mid-infrared Excess of the Dwarf Planet (136472) Makemake Discovered by JWST/MIRI Indicates Ongoing Activity
We report on the discovery of a very prominent mid-infrared (18–25 μm) excess associated with the trans-Neptunian dwarf planet (136472) Makemake. The excess, detected by the Mid-Infrared Instrument of the James Webb Space Telescope, along with previous measurements from the Spitzer and Herschel space telescopes, indicates the occurrence of temperatures of ∼150 K, much higher than what solid surfaces at Makemake’s heliocentric distance could reach by solar irradiation. We identify two potential explanations: a continuously visible, currently active region powered by subsurface upwelling and possibly cryovolcanic activity covering ≤1% of Makemake’s surface or an as-yet-undetected ring containing very small carbonaceous dust grains, which have not been seen before in trans-Neptunian or Centaur rings. Both scenarios point to unprecedented phenomena among trans-Neptunian objects and could greatly impact our understanding of these distant worlds.
Journal Article
The big backyard : the solar system beyond Pluto
\"Deep space holds materials left over from the formation of the solar system. Astronomers have been making exciting discoveries on the outermost fringes and the New Horizons spacecraft brings new insights into the origins of the sun and planets\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Long-term orbital dynamics of trans-Neptunian objects
This article reviews the different mechanisms affecting the orbits of trans-Neptunian objects, ranging from internal perturbations (planetary scattering, mean-motion resonances, and secular effects) to external perturbations (galactic tides and passing stars). We outline the theoretical tools that can be used to model and study them, focussing on analytical approaches. We eventually compare these mechanisms to the observed distinct populations of trans-Neptunian objects and conclude on how they participate to the sculpting of the whole distribution.
Journal Article
Non-resonant secular dynamics of trans-Neptunian objects perturbed by a distant super-Earth
We use a secular model to describe the non-resonant dynamics of trans-Neptunian objects in the presence of an external ten-Earth-mass perturber. The secular dynamics is analogous to an “eccentric Kozai mechanism” but with both an inner component (the four giant planets) and an outer one (the eccentric distant perturber). By the means of Poincaré sections, the cases of a non-inclined or inclined outer planet are successively studied, making the connection with previous works. In the inclined case, the problem is reduced to two degrees of freedom by assuming a non-precessing argument of perihelion for the perturbing body. The size of the perturbation is typically ruled by the semi-major axis of the small body: we show that the classic integrable picture is still valid below about 70 AU, but it is progressively destroyed when we get closer to the external perturber. In particular, for
a
>
150
AU, large-amplitude orbital flips become possible, and for
a
>
200
AU, the Kozai libration islands at
ω
=
π
/
2
and
3
π
/
2
are totally submerged by the chaotic sea. Numerous resonance relations are highlighted. The most large and persistent ones are associated with apsidal alignments or anti-alignments with the orbit of the distant perturber.
Journal Article
Analysis of Optimal Flight Trajectories to the Trans-Neptunian Object (90377) Sedna
AbstractWe present the results of our analysis of the optimal flight to the trans-Neptunian object (90377) Sedna at the launch in 2029. Sedna is a distant space object with a perihelion and aphelion \\(74\\) and 1000 AU, respectively, suggesting that this celestial body may belong to the Oort cloud. The orbital period of Sedna is more than 11 000 years. In our study we have considered a direct flight to Sedna and a flight with gravity assists of Venus, the Earth, and Jupiter under a restriction on the flight duration and the total \\( V\\). As the main scenario for the flight to Sedna for the launch in 2029 we have chosen the Earth–Venus–Earth–Earth–Jupiter flight, which provides \\( V\\) cost no more than 4.64 km s\\(^-1\\) under flight time restrictions of 30 years. We have also investigated the possibility of extending the scenario for the flight to Sedna by including a close flyby of one or more asteroids. As an example, we consider in detail the scenario with the flyby of the main-belt asteroids (20) Massalia and (5080) Oya.
Journal Article
Dynamic Evolution of Pairs of Trans-Neptunian Objects
A search for pairs of trans-Neptunian objects in close orbits with semimajor axes of more than 30 AU has been performed. Distances in space of Keplerian orbits were estimated using the Kholshevnikov metrics. We revealed 26 pairs of trans-Neptunian objects with metrics less than 0.07 (AU)
1/2
. Based on nominal orbits, the dynamic evolution of pairs of trans-Neptunian objects in the past over a time interval of 10 million years has been studied numerically. For the pair 2003 QL91—2015 VA173, a study of probabilistic evolution was carried out in the past over a time interval of 10 million years. Estimates of the age of pairs of trans-Neptunian objects obtained by various methods: analysis of low-speed approaches of objects, convergence of orbits, approaches of lines of nodes and apses, give conflicting results. The age of most of the pairs considered exceeds 10 million years.
Journal Article
Tuning the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Observing Strategy for Solar System Science
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to start the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) in early to mid-2025. This multiband wide-field synoptic survey will transform our view of the solar system, with the discovery and monitoring of over five million small bodies. The final survey strategy chosen for LSST has direct implications on the discoverability and characterization of solar system minor planets and passing interstellar objects. Creating an inventory of the solar system is one of the four main LSST science drivers. The LSST observing cadence is a complex optimization problem that must balance the priorities and needs of all the key LSST science areas. To design the best LSST survey strategy, a series of operation simulations using the Rubin Observatory scheduler have been generated to explore the various options for tuning observing parameters and prioritizations. We explore the impact of the various simulated LSST observing strategies on studying the solar system’s small body reservoirs. We examine what are the best observing scenarios and review what are the important considerations for maximizing LSST solar system science. In general, most of the LSST cadence simulations produce ±5% or less variations in our chosen key metrics, but a subset of the simulations significantly hinder science returns with much larger losses in the discovery and light-curve metrics.
Journal Article
Inclined asymmetric librations in exterior resonances
Librational motion in Celestial Mechanics is generally associated with the existence of stable resonant configurations and signified by the existence of stable periodic solutions and oscillation of critical (resonant) angles. When such an oscillation takes place around a value different than 0 or π, the libration is called asymmetric. In the context of the planar circular restricted three-body problem, asymmetric librations have been identified for the exterior mean motion resonances (MMRs) 1:2, 1:3, etc., as well as for co-orbital motion (1:1). In exterior MMRs the massless body is the outer one. In this paper, we study asymmetric librations in the three-dimensional space. We employ the computational approach of Markellos (Mon Not R Astron Soc 184:273–281, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/184.2.273, 1978) and compute families of asymmetric periodic orbits and their stability. Stable asymmetric periodic orbits are surrounded in phase space by domains of initial conditions which correspond to stable evolution and librating resonant angles. Our computations were focused on the spatial circular restricted three-body model of the Sun–Neptune–TNO system (TNO = trans-Neptunian object). We compare our results with numerical integrations of observed TNOs, which reveal that some of them perform 1:2 resonant, inclined asymmetric librations. For the stable 1:2 TNO librators, we find that their libration seems to be related to the vertically stable planar asymmetric orbits of our model, rather than the three-dimensional ones found in the present study.
Journal Article
Predictions of the LSST Solar System Yield: Near-Earth Objects, Main Belt Asteroids, Jupiter Trojans, and Trans-Neptunian Objects
The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a new 8m-class survey facility presently being commissioned in Chile, expected to begin the 10 yr long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the end of 2025. Using the purpose-built Sorcha survey simulator, and near-final observing cadence, we perform the first high-fidelity simulation of LSST’s solar system catalog for key small body populations. We show that the final LSST catalog will deliver over 1.1 billion observations of small bodies and raise the number of known objects to 1.27E5 near-Earth objects, 5.09E6 main belt asteroids, 1.09E5 Jupiter Trojans, and 3.70E4 trans-Neptunian objects. These represent 4×−9× more objects than are presently known in each class, making LSST the largest source of data for small body science in this and the following decade. We characterize the measurements available for these populations, including orbits, griz colors, and light curves, and point out science opportunities they open. Importantly, we show that ∼70% of the main asteroid belt and more distant populations will be discovered in the first 2 yr of the survey, making high-impact solar system science possible from very early on. We make our simulated LSST catalog publicly available, allowing researchers to test their methods on an up-to-date, representative, full-scale simulation of LSST data.
Journal Article