The Dynamical History of the Classical Kuiper Belt: Radiometric Diameters and Albedos

Details The Dynamical History of the Classical Kuiper Belt: Radiometric Diameters and Albedos The Dynamical History of the Classical Kuiper Belt: Radiometric Diameters and Albedos

Sep 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop.3542g&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #3542

Computer Science

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Scientific paper

We propose deep 24 and 70 micron MIPS photometry of 20 Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), 19 selected from the Classical belt (CKBOs) plus the one known Neptune Trojan. These observations will enable us to accurately determine their sizes and albedos, and to look for differences between dynamically hot and dynamically cold CKBO sub-populations. These two groups exhibit distinct color and absolute magnitude distributions, and we want to determine if/how these relate to their sizes and albedos. This project will for the first time enable us to investigate correlations between size, albedo, and inclination in the Classical belt. We will also investigate trends in size/albedo with heliocentric distance among the cold CKBOs, which will in turn shed light on whether they accreted in situ, or were pushed outward from their birthplaces by the migration of proto-Neptune. CKBOs are distant, small, and cold, so it takes hours of SST time to collect sufficient signal from each one. Accordingly, we used 3 MYr orbit integrations for all KBOs to enable us to precisely select the most dynamically useful targets for this investigation. We have also verified our flux models and expected background and instrument performance figures with actual MIPS data, recently returned for 3 KBOs and 3 Centaurs, as part of a thorough GTO survey of Centaurs, Resonant objects, and Scattered objects (which neglected the Classical Belt out of time considerations). Two thermal wavelengths are needed to properly constrain diameters and albedos of KBOs because of much larger uncertainties about what directions they emit their thermal radiation into, compared with the relatively simple situation for asteroids. More rigorous thermal models are needed for KBOs, and we have already developed and tested these. Essential V and R photometry of our targets will be secured by co-Is who are members of the Deep Ecliptic Survey, the discoverers of nearly half of all known KBOs.

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