Physics
Scientific paper
Sep 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop...55r&link_type=abstract
Spitzer Proposal ID #55
Physics
Scientific paper
We will obtain MIPS photometry for 44 KBOs and 12 Centaurs. For the KBOs we will focus on 70 microns, doing 24 micron and/or 160 micron observations for 10 to 20 objects, with S/N of 5 or better. These data will provide the first determinations of the albedos and diameters of KBOs, and the multi-wavelength data will constrain surface temperature distributions on some objects. For Centaurs we will focus on 24 microns, adding 70 micron measurements for all but 2, and 160 micron measurements for 3, and obtaining a minimum S/N of 5. While groundbased sizes/albedos already exist for 3 Centaurs, ours will be the first detections of these objects at longer wavelengths, and will provided constraints on the size, albedo, and temperature distribution for most known Centaur objects. In several cases 24 micron integration times were adjusted upward significantly from that required to obtain 5-sigma on the nuclear thermal flux in order to search for extended thermal emission. Such emission might result from the presence of comet-like dust trails in the neighborhood of the nucleus, although there is some possibility of detecting a dust coma directly."Shadow" observations are included for all targets in all bands. The shadow observations consist of a second observation of the target with the same integration time as the primary observation. The purpose of the shadow observation is two-fold. First is to obtain an additional measurement of the target flux, improving signal to noise and confirming any extended structure which may be detected. Second is to provide a resolved image of the background emission at the position the object occupied at the time of the primary observation (the primary observation then automatically provides an equivalent image for the shadow observation). The impact of confusing sources on photometry and searches for extended emission will be greatly reduced by subtraction of the background images.
Rieke George
Stansberry John
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