Related papers: The Trojan Color Conundrum
Recent {\em Kepler} observations revealed an unexpected abundance of "hot" Earth-size to Neptune-size planets in the inner $0.02-0.2$ AU from their parent stars. We propose that these smaller planets are the remnants of massive giant…
We have observed well-sampled phase curves for nine Trojan asteroids in B-, V-, and I-bands. These were constructed from 778 magnitudes taken with the 1.3-m telescope on Cerro Tololo as operated by a service observer for the SMARTS…
The cold classical population of the Kuiper belt exhibits a wide variety of unique physical characteristics, which collectively suggest that its dynamical coherence has been maintained through out the solar system's lifetime.…
Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are icy/rocky bodies that move beyond the orbit of Neptune in a region known as the trans-Neptunian belt (or Edgeworth-Kuiper belt). In contrast to the predictions of accretion models that feature…
We use numerical integrations to investigate the dynamical evolution of resonant Trojan and quasi-satellite companions during the late stages of migration of the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Our migration simulations…
Hot Jupiters, due to the proximity to their parent stars, are subjected to a strong irradiating flux which governs their radiative and dynamical properties. We compute a suite of 3D circulation models with dual-band radiative transfer,…
Jupiter's banded appearance may appear unchanging to the casual observer, but closer inspection reveals a dynamic, ever-changing system of belts and zones with distinct cycles of activity. Identification of these long-term cycles requires…
The minor planets on orbits that are dynamically stable in Neptune's 1:1 resonance on Gyr timescales were likely emplaced by Neptune's outward migration. We explore the intrinsic libration amplitude, eccentricity, and inclination…
Sparse and serendipitous asteroid photometry obtained by wide field surveys such as the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (\ATLAS) is a valuable resource for studying the properties of large numbers of small Solar System bodies.…
Using one-dimensional thermochemical/photochemical kinetics and transport models, we examine the chemistry of nitrogen-bearing species in the Jovian troposphere in an attempt to explain the low observational upper limit for HCN. We track…
We present updated non-adiabatic and inhomogeneous evolution models for Uranus and Neptune, employing an interior composition of methane, ammonia, water, and rocks. Following formation trends of the gas giants, Uranus and Neptune formation…
Single-binary scattering may lead to an exchange where the single object captures a component of the binary, forming a new binary. This has been well studied in encounters between a star--planet pair and a single star. Here we explore the…
Trans-Neptunian objects (TNO) represent the leftovers of the formation of the Solar System. Their physical properties provide constraints to the models of formation and evolution of the various dynamical classes of objects in the outer…
When transiting their host stars, hot Jupiters absorb about 10% of the light in the wings of the stellar Lyman-alpha emission line. The absorption occurs at wavelengths Doppler-shifted from line center by +/- 100 km/s - larger than the…
It is now accepted that the Solar system's youth was a dynamic and chaotic time. The giant planets migrated significant distances to reach their current locations, and evidence of that migration's influence on the Solar system abounds. That…
Ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) have recently been the focus of several atmospheric studies due to their extreme properties. While molecular hydrogen (H$_2$) plays a key role in UHJ atmospheres, it has not been directly detected on an exoplanet.…
Ever since the very first photometric studies of Centaurs and Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) their visible color distribution has been controversial. That controversy gave rise to a prolific debate on the origin of the surface colors of these…
In the present-day Kuiper Belt, the number of compositional classes and the orbital distributions of these classes hold important cosmogonic implications for the Solar System. In a companion paper by Fraser et al., we demonstrate that the…
The Hilda asteroids are primitive bodies in resonance with Jupiter whose origin and physical properties are not well understood. Current models posit that these asteroids formed in the outer Solar System and were scattered along with the…
We continue to investigate the binary system Kepler-16, consisting of a K-type main-sequence star, a red dwarf, and a circumbinary Saturnian planet. As part of our study, we describe the system's habitable zone based on different climate…