Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p13c0182b&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P13C-0182
Other
6000 Planetary Sciences: Comets And Small Bodies, 6008 Composition (1060), 6020 Ices, 6211 Centaurs, 6224 Kuiper Belt Objects
Scientific paper
Trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs are supposed to be remnants of the protoplanetary disk in which the accretion of the protoplanetesimals occurred. The study of these objects can help in understanding the accretion processes which governed the planetary formation, as well as those of other dust star disks. Studies of the physical and chemical properties of these icy bodies are still limited by the faintness of these objects, even if observed with the worldwide largest telescopes. Recent observations in visible photometry have provided B, V, R and I high quality colors for more than 130 objects. A taxonomy scheme based on multivariate statistical analysis described by these colors has been obtained. The taxonomy has been expanded and the analysis has been applied to other new groups of objects: the first includes 67 objects described by B-V, V-R, V-I and V-J colors and the second for 53 objects for which H and K photometry are available in addition to the others colors. The most detailed information on the composition of this cold population can be acquired only from spectroscopic observations. The wavelength region, ranging from 0.4 up to 2.3 microns, encompass diagnostic spectral features to investigate on organic compounds, minerals and ices present on the surface of the TNOs. To investigate the evolution of the whole TNO population we have analyzed the results obtained by our group from VLT-ESO programs together with all the spectroscopic data of TNOs and Centaurs available in the literature. The main results of the analysis of the whole sample of 32 objects for which visible and near-infrared spectra are available will be presented and discussed. While some objects show no diagnostic spectral bands, others reveal surface deposits of ices of H2O, CH3OH, CH4, and N2. The different surface compositions can be diagnostic of possible composition diversity, interior source and/or different evolution with different physical processes affecting the surfaces. A Large Program at VLT-ESO has been approved and more than 500 hrs have been allocated for the next two years. The new perspectives of this research will be presented.
Barucci Maria-Antonella
de Bergh Catherine
Doressoundiram Alain
Fulchignoni Marcello
Guilbert Aurélie
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