Size Distribution of Multi-km TNOs - Institut UTINAM - Univers, Temps-fréquence, Interfaces, Nanostructures, Atmosphère et environnement, Molécules (UMR 6213) Accéder directement au contenu
Chapitre D'ouvrage Année : 2008

Size Distribution of Multi-km TNOs

J.J. Kavelaars
Brett Gladman
  • Fonction : Auteur
Thomas J. Loredo
  • Fonction : Auteur

Résumé

There are two main goals in studying the size distribution of the TNOs. The first is the quest to determine the mass in the trans-neptunian region. The second is to understand the competition between accretion and collisional erosion. The size distribution of the largest bodies is controlled by the accretion process while that of bodies smaller than 50-100 km in diameter is believed to result from collisional evolution. An accessible way to determine the size distribution of TNOs is to determine their Luminosity Function (LF) and then try to convert magnitude to size. Interpreting the survey data to determine the correct LF, with confidence region for the parameters, is a subtle problem and is only beginning to be properly understood. Converting the LF into a size distribution is very complex and involves modeling, both dynamical and of physical surface properties of the TNOs. Several papers have been published that address this question, yielding LF slope of 0.3 to 0.9, and 1 object per ⊓ ⊔ • brighter than R magnitude 23-23.5. The exponent of the size distribution is most likely of order 4-5 for bodies larger than a few tens of km, and the number of objects with diameter larger than 100 km is of order a few 10 4. However, this subject is still in it infancy, and much observational and modeling work needs to be done before we claim we know the size distribution of the various populations of TNOs.

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Dates et versions

hal-03002375 , version 1 (12-11-2020)

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  • HAL Id : hal-03002375 , version 1

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Jean-Marc C. Petit, J.J. Kavelaars, Brett Gladman, Thomas J. Loredo. Size Distribution of Multi-km TNOs. The Solar System beyong Neptune, The University of Arizona Press, 2008, The Solar System beyong Neptune, 9780816527557. ⟨hal-03002375⟩
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