在档案数据中,来自恒星隐蔽的单个子千米的柯伊伯带物体
H E Schlichting1, E O Ofek, M Wenz
1Department of Astronomy, 249-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA. hes@astro.caltech.edu
Nature
|December 18, 2009
概括
很少检测到小的柯伊伯带物体,但它们的恒星遮蔽特征是可观测的. 我们的研究发现了这些物体的缺陷,表明它们经历了碰撞侵蚀,与之前不一致的检测不同.
科学领域:
- 天文学和天体物理学
- 太阳系科学 太阳系科学
- 行星科学 行星科学
背景情况:
- 柯伊伯带是早期太阳系的残余,它包含了其形成和演变的线索.
- 小柯伊伯带天体 (KBO) 很难直接探测,但它们对背景恒星的遮蔽提供了间接探测方法.
- 以前的隐藏检测声称已经产生了不一致的丰度,远远超过了理论预测.
研究的目的:
- 为了研究小柯伊伯带天体的数量和大小分布.
- 为了协调与此前发现的千米以下KBO的冲突.
- 了解影响小KBO的进化过程.
主要方法:
- 对搜索恒星隐蔽事件的档案数据的分析.
- 在45AU处检测到一个~500米半径的天体的隐蔽.
- 统计分析以确定检测的意义,并计算表面密度.
主要成果:
- 检测到单个隐蔽事件,随机波动的概率为2%.
- 导出的KBO (>250m半径) 的表面密度是2.1(-1.7)(+4.8) x 10^7 deg^-2,这与之前的说法相矛盾.
- 与从更大物体的推断相比,观察到亚千米大小的KBO缺陷.
结论:
- 这些发现挑战了以前对小型KBO的高丰度估计.
- 这种赤字表明,小于千米的KBO正在积极地经历碰撞侵蚀.
- 这种侵蚀过程类似于其他恒星周围碎片盘中观察到的侵蚀过程.
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