Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2008-04-21
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Accepted for Publication in the Astronomical Journal, April 20th, 2008 [29 pages, 18 figures]
Scientific paper
We present the results of a survey for trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) based on Subaru archival images, originally collected by Sheppard et al. (2005) as part of a search for irregular satellites of Uranus. The survey region covers 2.8 deg^2, centered on Uranus and observed near opposition on two adjacent nights. Our survey reaches half its maximum detection efficiency at R=25.69$\pm$0.01. The objects detected correspond to 82 TNOs, five Centaurs, and five irregular satellites. We model the cumulative number of TNOs brighter than a given apparent magnitude with both a single and double power law. The best fit single power law, with one object per square degree at magnitude $R_0 =22.6_{-0.4}^{+0.3}$ and a slope of $\alpha = 0.51_{-0.6}^{+0.5}$, is inconsistent with the results of similar searches with shallower limiting magnitudes. The best fit double power law, with a bright-end slope $\alpha_1 = 0.7_{-0.1}^{+0.2}$, a faint-end slope $\alpha_2=0.3_{-0.2}^{+0.2}$, a differential number density at R=23, $\sigma_{23} = 2.0_{-0.5}^{+0.5}$ and a magnitude break in the slope at $R_{eq} = 24.3_{-0.1}^{+0.8}$, is more likely than the single power law by a Bayes factor of ~26. This is the first survey with sufficient depth and areal coverage to identify the magnitude at which the break occurs without relying on the results of other surveys. ...
Fuentes Cesar I.
Holman Matthew J.
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