Population of the scattered Kuiper Belt

Chadwick A. Trujillo; David C. Jewitt; Jane X. Luu

doi:10.1086/312467

Population of the scattered Kuiper Belt

Chadwick A. Trujillo, David C. Jewitt, Jane X. Luu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the discovery of three new scattered Kuiper Belt objects (SKBOs) from a wide-field survey of the ecliptic. This continuing survey has to date covered 20.2 deg² to a limiting red magnitude of 23.6. We combine the data from this new survey with an existing survey conducted at the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope to constrain the number and mass of the SKBOs. The SKBOs are characterized by large eccentricities, perihelia near 35 AU, and semimajor axes greater than 50 AU. Using a maximum likelihood model, we estimate the total number of SKBOs larger than 100 km in diameter to be N = (3.1^+1.9_-1.3) × 10⁴ (1 σ errors) and the total mass of SKBOs to be M ∼ 0.05 M_⊕, demonstrating that the SKBOs are similar in number and mass to the Kuiper Belt inside 50 AU.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L103-L106
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	529
Issue number	2 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/312467
State	Published - Feb 1 2000
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Comets: general
Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud
Solar system: formation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/312467

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@article{38b892395d664ce38c28c26bd51faaf2,

title = "Population of the scattered Kuiper Belt",

abstract = "We present the discovery of three new scattered Kuiper Belt objects (SKBOs) from a wide-field survey of the ecliptic. This continuing survey has to date covered 20.2 deg2 to a limiting red magnitude of 23.6. We combine the data from this new survey with an existing survey conducted at the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope to constrain the number and mass of the SKBOs. The SKBOs are characterized by large eccentricities, perihelia near 35 AU, and semimajor axes greater than 50 AU. Using a maximum likelihood model, we estimate the total number of SKBOs larger than 100 km in diameter to be N = (3.1+1.9-1.3) × 104 (1 σ errors) and the total mass of SKBOs to be M ∼ 0.05 M⊕, demonstrating that the SKBOs are similar in number and mass to the Kuiper Belt inside 50 AU.",

keywords = "Comets: general, Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, Solar system: formation",

author = "Trujillo, {Chadwick A.} and Jewitt, {David C.} and Luu, {Jane X.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Ken Barton for help at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. This work was supported by a grant to D. C. J. from NASA.",

year = "2000",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1086/312467",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "529",

pages = "L103--L106",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Population of the scattered Kuiper Belt

AU - Trujillo, Chadwick A.

AU - Jewitt, David C.

AU - Luu, Jane X.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Ken Barton for help at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. This work was supported by a grant to D. C. J. from NASA.

PY - 2000/2/1

Y1 - 2000/2/1

N2 - We present the discovery of three new scattered Kuiper Belt objects (SKBOs) from a wide-field survey of the ecliptic. This continuing survey has to date covered 20.2 deg2 to a limiting red magnitude of 23.6. We combine the data from this new survey with an existing survey conducted at the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope to constrain the number and mass of the SKBOs. The SKBOs are characterized by large eccentricities, perihelia near 35 AU, and semimajor axes greater than 50 AU. Using a maximum likelihood model, we estimate the total number of SKBOs larger than 100 km in diameter to be N = (3.1+1.9-1.3) × 104 (1 σ errors) and the total mass of SKBOs to be M ∼ 0.05 M⊕, demonstrating that the SKBOs are similar in number and mass to the Kuiper Belt inside 50 AU.

AB - We present the discovery of three new scattered Kuiper Belt objects (SKBOs) from a wide-field survey of the ecliptic. This continuing survey has to date covered 20.2 deg2 to a limiting red magnitude of 23.6. We combine the data from this new survey with an existing survey conducted at the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope to constrain the number and mass of the SKBOs. The SKBOs are characterized by large eccentricities, perihelia near 35 AU, and semimajor axes greater than 50 AU. Using a maximum likelihood model, we estimate the total number of SKBOs larger than 100 km in diameter to be N = (3.1+1.9-1.3) × 104 (1 σ errors) and the total mass of SKBOs to be M ∼ 0.05 M⊕, demonstrating that the SKBOs are similar in number and mass to the Kuiper Belt inside 50 AU.

KW - Comets: general

KW - Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud

KW - Solar system: formation

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U2 - 10.1086/312467

DO - 10.1086/312467

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SN - 0004-637X

VL - 529

SP - L103-L106

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 PART 2

ER -

Population of the scattered Kuiper Belt

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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