Wesley C. Fraser

Retention of a Primordial Cold Classical Kuiper Belt in an Instability-Driven Model of Solar System Formation

The cold classical population of the Kuiper Belt exhibits a wide variety of unique physical characteristics, which collectively suggest that its dynamical coherence has been maintained throughout the solar systems lifetime. Simultaneously, the retention of the cold populations relatively unexcited orbital state has remained a mystery, especially in the context of a solar system formation model, that is driven by a transient period of instability, where Neptune is temporarily eccentric. Here, we show that the cold belt can survive the instability, and its dynamical structure can be reproduced. We develop a simple analytical model for secular excitation of cold Kuiper Belt objects and show that comparatively fast apsidal precession and nodal recession of Neptune, during the eccentric phase, are essential for preservation of an unexcited state in the cold classical region. Subsequently, we confirm our results with self-consistent N-body simulations. We further show that contamination of the hot classical and scattered populations by objects of similar nature to that of cold classicals has been instrumental in shaping the vast physical diversity inherent to the Kuiper Belt.

THE HUBBLE WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 TEST OF SURFACES IN THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM: THE COMPOSITIONAL CLASSES OF THE KUIPER BELT

We present the first results of the Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 Test of Surfaces in the Outer Solar System. The purpose of this survey was to measure the surface properties of a large number of Kuiper Belt objects and attempt to infer compositional and dynamical correlations. We find that the Centaurs and the low-perihelion scattered disk and resonant objects exhibit virtually identical bifurcated optical color distributions and make up two well-defined groups of objects. Both groups have highly correlated optical and NIR colors that are well described by a pair of two-component mixture models that have different red components but share a common neutral component. The small, H_606 ≳ 5.6 high-perihelion excited objects are entirely consistent with being drawn from the two branches of the mixing model, suggesting that the color bifurcation of the Centaurs is apparent in all small excited objects. On the other hand, objects larger than H_606 ~ 5.6 are not consistent with the mixing model, suggesting some evolutionary process avoided by the smaller objects. The existence of a bifurcation amongst all excited populations argues that the two separate classes of object existed in the primordial disk before the excited Kuiper Belt was populated. The cold classical objects exhibit a different type of surface that has colors that are consistent with being drawn from the red branch of the mixing model, but with much higher albedos.

A Hypothesis for the Color Diversity of the Kuiper Belt

We propose a chemical and dynamical process to explain the surface colors of the Kuiper belt. In our hypothesis, the initial bulk compositions of the bodies themselves can be quite diverse—as is seen in comets—but the early surface compositions are set by volatile evaporation after the objects are formed. Strong gradients in surface composition, coupled with UV and particle irradiation, lead to the surface colors that are seen today. The objects formed in the inner part of the primordial belt retain only H2O and CO2 as the major ice species on their surfaces. Irradiation of these species plausibly results in the dark neutrally colored centaurs and Kuiper belt objects (KBOs). Object formed further in the disk retain CH3OH, which has been shown to lead to brighter redder surfaces after irradiation, as seen in the brighter redder centaurs and KBOs. Objects formed at the current location of the cold classical Kuiper belt uniquely retain NH3, which has been shown to affect irradiation chemistry and could plausibly lead to the unique colors of these objects. We propose observational and experimental tests of this hypothesis.

THE COLLISIONAL DIVOT IN THE KUIPER BELT SIZE DISTRIBUTION

This paper presents the results of collisional evolution calculations for the Kuiper Belt starting from an initial size distribution similar to that produced by accretion simulations of that region—a steep power-law large object size distribution that breaks to a shallower slope at r ~ 1-2 km, with collisional equilibrium achieved for objects r ≾ 0.5 km. We find that the break from the steep large object power law causes a divot, or depletion of objects at r ~ 10-20 km, which, in turn, greatly reduces the disruption rate of objects with r ≳ 25-50 km, preserving the steep power-law behavior for objects at this size. Our calculations demonstrate that the roll-over observed in the Kuiper Belt size distribution is naturally explained as an edge of a divot in the size distribution; the radius at which the size distribution transitions away from the power law, and the shape of the divot from our simulations are consistent with the size of the observed roll-over, and size distribution for smaller bodies. Both the kink radius and the radius of the divot center depend on the strength scaling law in the gravity regime for Kuiper Belt objects. These simulations suggest that the sky density of r ~ 1 km objects is ~10^6-10^7 objects per square degree. A detection of the divot in the size distribution would provide a measure of the strength of large Kuiper Belt objects, and constrain the shape of the size distribution at the end of accretion in the Kuiper Belt.

THE SIZE, DENSITY, AND FORMATION OF THE ORCUS-VANTH SYSTEM IN THE KUIPER BELT

A B STR A C T TheKuiperbeltobjectOrcusand itssatelliteVanth form an unusualsystem in theKuiperbelt.W hilem ostlargeKuiperbeltobjectshavesm allsatellitesin circularorbits(Brown 2008)and sm allerKuiperbeltobjectsand theirsatellites tend to be much closerin size (Nolletal.2008),Orcussitsin between. Orcus isam ongstthelargestobjectsknown in theKuiperbelt,buttherelativesizeof Vanth ismuch largerthan thatofthe tiny satellites ofthe otherlarge objects (Brown 2008). Here we characterize the physicaland orbitalcharacteristics of theOrcus-Vanth system in an attem ptto distinguish discusspossibleform ation

The Surface Composition of Large Kuiper Belt Object 2007 OR10

We present photometry and spectra of the large Kuiper belt object 2007 OR10. The data show significant near-infrared absorption features due to water ice. While most objects in the Kuiper belt with water ice absorption this prominent have the optically neutral colors of water ice, 2007 OR10 is among the reddest Kuiper belt objects known. One other large Kuiper belt object—Quaoar—has similar red coloring and water ice absorption, and it is hypothesized that the red coloration of this object is due to irradiation of the small amounts of methane able to be retained on Quaoar. 2007 OR10, though warmer than Quaoar, is in a similar volatile retention regime because it is sufficiently larger that its stronger gravity can still retain methane. We propose, therefore, that the red coloration on 2007 OR10 is also caused by the retention of small amounts of methane. Positive detection of methane on 2007 OR10 will require spectra with higher signal to noise. Models for volatile retention on Kuiper belt objects appear to continue to do an excellent job reproducing all of the available observations.

QUAOAR: A ROCK IN THE KUIPER BELT

Here we report Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 observations of the Quaoar-Weywot Kuiper Belt binary. From these observations, we find that Weywot is on an elliptical orbit with an eccentricity of 0.14 ± 0.04, a period of 12.438 ± 0.005 days, and a semimajor axis of 1.45 ± 0.08 × 10^4 km. The orbit reveals a surprisingly high-Quaoar-Weywot system mass of (1.6 ± 0.3) × 10^(21) kg. Using the surface properties of the Uranian and Neptunian satellites as a proxy for Quaoars surface, we reanalyze the size estimate from Brown & Trujillo. We find, from a mean of available published size estimates, a diameter for Quaoar of 890 ± 70 km. We find Quaoars density to be ρ = 4.2 ± 1.3 g cm^(-3), possibly the highest density in the Kuiper Belt.

THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM ORIGINS SURVEY. I. DESIGN AND FIRST-QUARTER DISCOVERIES

National Research Council of Canada; National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Academia Sinica Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Mass, Orbit, and Tidal Evolution of the Quaoar-Weywot System

Here we present new adaptive optics observations of the Quaoar–Weywot system. With these new observations we determine an improved system orbit. Due to a 0.39 day alias that exists in available observations, four possible orbital solutions are available with periods of ∼11.6, ∼12.0, ∼12.4, and ∼12.8 days. From the possible orbital solutions, system masses of 1.3–1.5 ± 0.1 × 10^(21) kg are found. These observations provide an updated density for Quaoar of 2.7–5.0 g cm^(−3). In all cases, Weywot’s orbit is eccentric, with possible values ∼0.13–0.16. We present a reanalysis of the tidal orbital evolution of the Quaoar–Weywot system. We have found that Weywot has probably evolved to a state of synchronous rotation, and has likely preserved its initial inclination over the age of the Solar System. We find that for plausible values of the effective tidal dissipation factor tides produce a very slow evolution of Weywot’s eccentricity and semi-major axis. Accordingly, it appears that Weywot’s eccentricity likely did not tidally evolve to its current value from an initially circular orbit. Rather, it seems that some other mechanism has raised its eccentricity post-formation, or Weywot formed with a non-negligible eccentricity.

DISCOVERY OF A NEW RETROGRADE TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECT: HINT OF A COMMON ORBITAL PLANE FOR LOW SEMIMAJOR AXIS, HIGH-INCLINATION TNOs AND CENTAURS

Although the majority of Centaurs are thought to have originated in the scattered disk, with the high-inclination members coming from the Oort cloud, the origin of the high-inclination component of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) remains uncertain. We report the discovery of a retrograde TNO, which we nickname “Niku,” detected by the Pan-STARRS 1 Outer Solar System Survey. Our numerical integrations show that the orbital dynamics of Niku are very similar to that of 2008 KV42 (Drac), with a half-life of ∼500Myr. Comparing similar high-inclination TNOs and Centaurs (q>10 au, a<100 au, and i>60°), we find that these objects exhibit a surprising clustering of ascending node, and occupy a common orbital plane. This orbital configuration has high statistical significance: 3.8-σ. An unknown mechanism is required to explain the observed clustering. This discovery may provide a pathway to investigating a possible reservoir of high-inclination objects.