Open AccessA Brightness Classification Boundary in the Kuiper Belt Population
Author(s) -
Kevin J. Napier,
Fred C. Adams
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
research notes of the aas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2515-5172
DOI - 10.3847/2515-5172/ac5b6c
Subject(s) - population , physics , radius , boundary (topology) , astrophysics , solar system , brightness , solar radius , asteroid , astronomy , mathematics , solar wind , computer science , coronal mass ejection , mathematical analysis , demography , computer security , quantum mechanics , sociology , magnetic field
The Kuiper Belt contains a large number of minor bodies that collectively constrain the dynamical history of the solar system. These bodies are often classified into distinct populations. This note identifies a well-defined boundary (at H -magnitude = 5.65) that separates bright (large) objects from dimmer (smaller) objects. The probability that the two sub-samples are drawn from the same underlying distribution is p ∼ 10 −15 . The larger bodies (estimated radius R ≳ 125 km) are dynamically hot, as measured by their locations in the e - sin i plane, and likely represent an implanted population. The smaller bodies ( R ≲ 125 km) are dynamically colder and are likely to be primordial. The bright/large/hot population currently contains ∼200 members, including all ∼50 dwarf planet candidates in the Kuiper Belt.