From KBOs to Centaurs: The Thermal Connection

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

21 pages, 7 figures, 5 table, accepted for publication in Meteoritics and Planetary Science (ACM2008 Special Issue)

Scientific paper

We present results of thermal evolution calculations for objects originating in the Kuiper belt and transferring inwards, to the region of the outer planets. Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) are considered to be part of a reservoir that supplies the flux of small icy bodies, mainly Centaurs and Jupiter-family comets, to regions interior to the orbit of Neptune. We study the internal thermal evolution, for yr, of three typical KBOs and use the end state of the simulation as initial conditions for evolutionary calculations of two typical Centaurs. Some evolutionary trends can be identified for the KBOs, depending on key physical parameters, such as size and composition. The subsequent evolution in the Centaur region results in both specific features for each modeled object (mainly surface and sub-surface composition) and common characteristics of thermally evolved Centaurs.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

From KBOs to Centaurs: The Thermal Connection does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with From KBOs to Centaurs: The Thermal Connection, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and From KBOs to Centaurs: The Thermal Connection will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-564406

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.