Dynamical Classification of Trans-Neptunian Objects Detected by the Dark Energy Survey
Abstract
The outer Solar System contains a large number of small bodies (known as trans-Neptunian objects or TNOs) that exhibit diverse types of dynamical behavior. The classification of bodies in this distant region into dynamical classes -- sub-populations that experience similar orbital evolution -- aids in our understanding of the structure and formation of the Solar System. In this work, we propose an updated dynamical classification scheme for the outer Solar System. This approach includes the construction of a new (automated) method for identifying mean-motion resonances. We apply this algorithm to the current dataset of TNOs observed by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and present a working classification for all of the DES TNOs detected to date. Our classification scheme yields 1 inner centaur, 19 outer centaurs, 21 scattering disk objects, 47 detached TNOs, 48 securely resonant objects, 7 resonant candidates, and 97 classical belt objects. Among the scattering and detached objects, we detect 8 TNOs with semi-major axes greater than 150 AU.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2001.06060,
title = {Dynamical Classification of Trans-Neptunian Objects Detected by the Dark Energy Survey},
author = {T. Khain and J. C. Becker and Hsing Wen Lin and D. W. Gerdes and F. C. Adams and P. Bernardinelli and G. M. Bernstein and K. Franson and L. Markwardt and S. Hamilton and K. Napier and M. Sako and T. M. C. Abbott and S. Avila and E. Bertin and D. Brooks and E. Buckley-Geer and D. L. Burke and A. Carnero Rosell and M. Carrasco Kind and J. Carretero and L. N. da Costa and J. De Vicente and S. Desai and H. T. Diehl and P. Doel and B. Flaugher and J. Frieman and J. Garcia-Bellido and E. Gaztanaga and D. Gruen and R. A. Gruendl and J. Gschwend and G. Gutierrez and D. L. Hollowood and K. Honscheid and D. J. James and N. Kuropatkin and M. A. G. Maia and J. L. Marshall and F. Menanteau and C. J. Miller and R. Miquel and A. A. Plazas and E. Sanchez and V. Scarpine and M. Schubnell and I. Sevilla-Noarbe and M. Smith and F. Sobreira and E. Suchyta and M. E. C. Swanson and G. Tarle and A. R. Walker and W. Wester},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2001.06060},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
accepted to AJ