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Short-Period Comets: Primordial Bodies or Collisional Fragments?
1P. Farinella, Dipartimento di Matematica, Universita di Pisa, Via Buonarroti 2, 56127 Pisa, Italy. D. R. Davis, Planetary Science Institute, 620 North Sixth Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85705-8331, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 16, 1996
Summary
Collisions among Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt Objects (EKOs) shape their population and create short-period comets. Smaller EKOs frequently break apart, influencing comet properties like shape and color.
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Astronomy
- Astrophysics
Background:
- The Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt (EKB) is a vast region beyond Neptune populated by numerous small bodies.
- These objects, known as Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt Objects (EKOs), are crucial for understanding solar system evolution.
- Their progeny, short-period comets, provide insights into the inner solar system's composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of collisional processes in shaping the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt population.
- To determine how collisions influence the formation and characteristics of short-period comets.
- To explain the physical properties of short-period comets based on their origin.
Main Methods:
- Utilized advanced computational modeling to simulate collisions among EKOs.
- Analyzed the size-frequency distribution of fragments resulting from collisional breakup.
- Investigated dynamical pathways for EKOs to enter the inner solar system via resonances.
Main Results:
- Collisions are a dominant process for EKOs smaller than 100 km, leading to frequent breakup and a power-law size distribution.
- Larger EKOs (>100 km) generally survive the age of the solar system.
- Collisions plausibly inject 1-10 km EKOs into resonances, facilitating their transport to the inner solar system as comets.
Conclusions:
- Collisional evolution is fundamental to understanding the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt.
- The fragmental nature of EKOs explains the observed physical properties of short-period comets.
- This research provides a cohesive model linking EKO dynamics, collisions, and comet characteristics.
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