Related papers: Surface composition and dynamical evolution of two…
We present low resolution K band spectra taken at the Gemini 8 meter telescope of (90377) Sedna and (90482) Orcus (provisional designations 2003 VB12 and 2004 DW, respectively), currently the two minor planets with the greatest absolute…
2009 MS9 is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) whose perihelion brings it close to the distance where some long period comets are seen to become active. Knowing this, and the fact that this object appears to brighten in excess of it's predicted…
In this work, we investigate the dynamical origin of extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs) under the action of the External Field Effect (EFE), which is a consequence of Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) applied to gravity around the Sun…
Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with small perihelion distances reach sub-solar temperatures of > 1000 K. They are hypothesized to undergo "super-catastrophic" disruption, potentially caused by near-Sun processes such as thermal cracking,…
We study the Kozai dynamics affecting the orbital evolution of transneptunian objects being captured or not in MMR with Neptune. We provide energy level maps of the type ({\omega},q) describing the possible orbital paths from Neptune up to…
We present the discovery and initial physical and dynamical characterization of the object 2003 UB313. The object is sufficiently bright that for all reasonable values of the albedo it is certain to be larger than Pluto. Pre-discovery…
While planets in the solar system only have a low inclination with respect to the ecliptic there is mounting evidence that in extrasolar systems the inclination can be very high, at least for close-in planets. One process to alter the…
The inner edge of the classical habitable zone is often defined by the critical flux needed to trigger the runaway greenhouse instability. This 1D notion of a critical flux, however, may not be so relevant for inhomogeneously irradiated…
Context. V838 Monocerotis is a peculiar binary that underwent an immense stellar explosion in 2002, leaving behind an expanding cool supergiant and a hot B3V companion. Five years after the outburst, the B3V companion disappeared from view,…
Gas giants orbiting their host star within the ice line are thought to have migrated to their current locations from farther out. Here we consider the origin and dynamical evolution of observed Jupiters, focusing on hot and warm Jupiters…
Transition disks correspond to a short stage between the young protoplanetary phase and older debris phase. Along this evolutionary sequence, the gas component disappears leaving room for a dust-dominated environment where already-formed…
Sub-Jupiter classed circumbinary planets discovered in close-in binary systems have orbits just beyond the dynamically unstable region, which is determined by the eccentricity and mass ratio of the host binary stars. These planets are…
We present photometric light curves for a sample of 21 ultra cool M and L dwarfs in the field and in the young open clusters sigma Orionis and the Pleiades. Evidence for variability with RMS amplitudes (in the I band) of 0.01 to 0.055…
The study of comets affords a unique window into the birth, infancy, and subsequent history of the solar system. There is strong evidence that comets incorporated pristine interstellar material as well as processed nebular matter, providing…
Stellar occultations provide a powerful tool to explore objects of the outer solar system. The Gaia mission now provides milli-arcsec accuracy on the predictions of these events and makes possible observations that were previously…
The recent characterization of transiting close-in planets has revealed an intriguing population of sub-Neptunes with highly tilted and even polar orbits relative to their host star's equator. Any viable theory for the origin of these…
We have monitored over a ten-year interval the light variations of five evolved stars with very large mid-infrared excesses. All five objects appear to have oxygen-rich or mixed oxygen-rich and carbon-rich chemistries. They all vary in…
We report on observations of two bright Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) - 1999 TC36 and 1998 SN165}- during two observational campaigns, as part of the Meudon Multicolor Survey of Outer Solar System Objects. V-J color was measured for 1999…
We present results of thermal evolution calculations for objects originating in the Kuiper belt and transferring inwards, to the region of the outer planets. Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) are considered to be part of a reservoir that supplies…
We analyze a vast light curve database by obtaining mean rotational properties of the entire sample, determining the spin frequency distribution and comparing those data with a simple model based on hydrostatic equilibrium. For the rotation…