Physics
Scientific paper
Aug 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001icrc...10.4267c&link_type=abstract
Proceedings of the 27th International Cosmic Ray Conference. 07-15 August, 2001. Hamburg, Germany. Under the auspices of the Int
Physics
Scientific paper
Interactions of heliospheric plasma, energetic particles, and dust with icy surfaces of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO) in the outer heliosphere have potentially observable effects on surface chemistry of these objects. Although most detected KBO's have circular orbits at 3050 A.U. within the heliosphere, some of the Centaur and Scattered Kuiper Belt Objects (SKBO) have sufficiently eccentric orbits to pass through the solar wind termination shock (~ 80 - 120 AU) into the heliosheath region. Within this boundary region the primary radiolytic energy source may be anomalous cosmic ray ions accelerated at the shock. A few SKBO's have aphelia . 10 3 A.U. and are periodically exposed to unmodulated galactic cosmic ray irradiation in the very local interstellar medium (VLISM). Time scales for significant radiolytic evolution of surface ices to sensible depths of microns to cm's are the Solar System age for KBO's far inside the termination shock, 10 3-10 6 years in the heliosheath, and 10 6 to 10 9 years in the VLISM.
Christian Eric R.
Cooper John F.
Johnson Robert E.
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