Physical Properties of Kuiper Belt and Centaur Objects: Constraints from the Spitzer Space Telescope

By J. Stansberry, W. Grundy, Mike Brown, Dale P. Cruikshank, J. Spencer, D. Trilling, Jean-Luc Margot. 2007

147 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Detecting heat from minor planers in the outer solar system is challenging, yet it is the most efficient means for constraining the albedos and sizes of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) and their progeny, the Centaur objects. These physical parameters are critical. e.g., for interpreting spectroscopic data, deriving densities from the masses of binary systems, and predicting occultation tracks. Here we summarize Spitzer Space Telescope observations of 47 KBOs and Centaurs at wavelengths near 24 and 70 µm. We interpret the measurements using a variation of the standard thermal model (STM) to derive the physical properties (albedo and diameter) of the targets. We also summarize the results of other efforts to measure the albedos and sizes of K.BOs and Centaurs. The three or four largest KBOs appear to constitute a distinct class in terms of their albedos. From our Spitzer results, we find that the geometric albedo of KBOs and Centaurs is correlated with perihelion distance (darker objects having smaller perihelia), and that the albedos of KBOs (bur not Centaurs) are correlated with size (larger KBOs having higher albedos). We also find hints that albedo may be correlated with visible color (for Centaurs). Interestingly, if the color correlation is real, redder Centaurs appear to have higher albedos. Finally, we briefly discuss the prospects for future thermal observations of these primitive outer solar system objects.

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ee6e65287f744d81701f23877c062e57345467d4

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Citations in the corpus

• Density of asteroids (2012, background): “The diameter and albedo of the colder TNOs have also been studied at longer wavelengths with Spitzer and Herschel ( e.g. , Stansberry et al., 2008; M¨uller et al., 2009).”
• Full numerical simulations of catastrophic small body collisions (2008, background): “Bulk densities and inferences about internal structure may also be derived from remote sensing (Noll et al., 2008; Stansberry et al., 2008 ).”
• The Compositions of Kuiper Belt Objects (2011, background): “Ixion, 2002 UX25, 2002 AW197, 2004 GV9, and 2003 AZ84 have ∼650 km diameters within their uncertainties (Stansberry et al. 2008), but only 2003 AZ84 has a large abundance of water ice on the surface.”