The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
We present Keplerian orbit solutions for the mutual orbits of 17 transneptunian binary systems (TNBs). For ten of them, the orbit had not previously been known: 60458 2000 CM 114 , 119979 2002 WC 19 , 160091 2000 OL 67 , 160256 2002 PD 149 , 469514 2003 QA 91 , 469705 ǂKá̦gára, 508788 2000 CQ 114 , 508869 2002 VT 130 , 1999 RT 214 , and 2002 XH 91 . Seven more are systems where the size, shape, and...
When the EPOXI spacecraft flew by Comet 103P/Hartley 2, it observed large particles floating around the comet nucleus. These particles are likely low-density, centimeter- to decimeter-sized clumps of ice and dust. While the origin of these objects remains somewhat mysterious, it is possible that they are giving us important information about the earliest stages of our Solar System’s formation. Recent...
From observations by the Hubble Space Telescope, Keck II Telescope, and Gemini North Telescope, we have determined the mutual orbit of the large transneptunian object (174567) Varda and its satellite Ilmarë. These two objects orbit one another in a highly inclined, circular or near-circular orbit with a period of 5.75days and a semimajor axis of 4810km. This orbit reveals the system mass to be (2...
Hubble Space Telescope observations between 2001 and 2010 resolved the binary components of the Cold Classical transneptunian object (79360) Sila–Nunam (provisionally designated 1997 CS 29 ). From these observations we have determined the circular, retrograde mutual orbit of Nunam relative to Sila with a period of 12.50995±0.00036days and a semimajor axis of 2777±19km. A multi-year season...
We report new Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope results concerning the physical properties of the trans-neptunian object (TNO) binaries (120347) Salacia–Actaea (formerly 2004 SB 60 ), and (42355) Typhon–Echidna (formerly 2002 CR 46 ). The mass of the (120347) Salacia–Actaea system is 4.66±0.22×10 20 kg. The semi-major axis, period, and eccentricity of the binary...
We re-examine the formation of the inner Oort comet cloud while the Sun was in its birth cluster with the aid of numerical simulations. This work is a continuation of an earlier study (Brasser, R., Duncan, M.J., Levison, H.F. [2006]. Icarus 184, 59–82) with several substantial modifications. First, the system consisting of stars, planets and comets is treated self-consistently in our N-body simulations,...
We present a scenario for building the equatorial ridge and de-spinning Iapetus through an impact-generated disk and satellite. This impact puts debris into orbit, forming a ring inside the Roche limit and a satellite outside. This satellite rapidly pushes the ring material down to the surface of Iapetus, and then itself tidally evolves outward, thereby helping to de-spin Iapetus. This scenario can...
We present three improved and five new mutual orbits of transneptunian binary systems (58534) Logos-Zoe, (66652) Borasisi-Pabu, (88611) Teharonhiawako-Sawiskera, (123509) 2000 WK 183 , (149780) Altjira, 2001 QY 297 , 2003 QW 111 , and 2003 QY 90 based on Hubble Space Telescope and Keck II laser guide star adaptive optics observations. Combining the five new orbit solutions...
We present new analysis of HST images of (47171) 1999 TC 36 that confirm it as a triple system. Fits to the point-spread function (PSF) consistently show that the apparent primary is itself composed of two similar-sized components. The two central components, A1 and A2, can be consistently identified in each of nine epochs spread over 7years of time. In each instance, the component separation,...
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 PB 108 . 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...
We report resolved photometry of the primary and secondary components of 23 transneptunian binaries obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. V–I colors of the components range from 0.7 to 1.5 with a median uncertainty of 0.06 magnitudes. The colors of the primaries and secondaries are correlated with a Spearman rank correlation probability of 99.99991%, 5 sigma for a normal distribution. Fits to...
We describe a strategy for scheduling astrometric observations to minimize the number required to determine the mutual orbits of binary transneptunian systems. The method is illustrated by application to Hubble Space Telescope observations of (42355) Typhon–Echidna, revealing that Typhon and Echidna orbit one another with a period of 18.971±0.006 days and a semimajor axis of 1628±29 km, implying a...
In a previous publication [Brasser, R., Duncan, M.J., Levison, H.F., 2006. Icarus 184, 59–82], models of the inner Oort cloud were built which included the effect of an embedded star cluster on cometary orbits about the Sun. The main conclusions of that paper were that the formation efficiency is about 10% and the median distance of the cloud to the Sun only depends on the mean density of gas and...
This paper deals with Oort cloud formation while the Sun was in an embedded cluster and surrounded by its primordial nebula. This work is a continuation of Brasser et al. [Brasser, R., Duncan, M., Levison, H., 2006. Icarus 184, 59–82], building on the model presented therein, and adding the aerodynamic drag and gravitational potential of the primordial solar nebula. Results are presented of numerical...
Hubble Space Telescope observations of Uranus- and Neptune-crossing object (65489) Ceto/Phorcys (provisionally designated 2003 FX 128 ) reveal it to be a close binary system. The mutual orbit has a period of 9.554±0.011 days and a semimajor axis of 1840±48 km. These values enable computation of a system mass of (5.41±0.42)×1018 kg. Spitzer Space Telescope observations of thermal emission at...
Observations suggest most stars originate in clusters embedded in giant molecular clouds [Lada, C.J., Lada, E.A., 2003. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 41, 57–115]. Our Solar System likely spent 1–5 Myrs in such regions just after it formed. Thus the Oort Cloud (OC) possibly retains evidence of the Sun's early dynamical history and of the stellar and tidal influence of the cluster. Indeed, the newly...
Runaway growth ends when the largest protoplanets dominate the dynamics of the planetesimal disk; the subsequent self-limiting accretion mode is referred to as ''oligarchic growth.'' Here, we begin by expanding on the existing analytic model of the oligarchic growth regime. From this, we derive global estimates of the planet formation rate throughout a protoplanetary disk. We find that a relatively...
We discuss the structure of the Kuiper belt as it can be inferred from the first decade of observations. In particular, we focus on its most intriguing properties – the mass deficit, inclination distribution, the apparent existence of an outer edge and of a correlation among inclinations, colours and sizes – which clearly show that the belt has lost its pristine structureof a dynamically cold proto-planetary...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.