OSSOS: XI. No active centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey

Nahuel Cabral; Aurélie Guilbert-Lepoutre; Wesley C. Fraser; Michaël Marsset; Kathryn Volk; Jean Marc Petit; Philippe Rousselot; Mike Alexandersen; Michele T. Bannister; Ying Tung Chen; Brett Gladman; Stephen D.J. Gwyn; John J. Kavelaars

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201834021

OSSOS: XI. No active centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey

Nahuel Cabral^*, Aurélie Guilbert-Lepoutre, Wesley C. Fraser, Michaël Marsset, Kathryn Volk, Jean Marc Petit, Philippe Rousselot, Mike Alexandersen, Michele T. Bannister, Ying Tung Chen, Brett Gladman, Stephen D.J. Gwyn, John J. Kavelaars

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

1 Citation (Scopus)

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Abstract

Context. Centaurs are icy objects in transition between the trans-Neptunian region and the inner solar system, orbiting the Sun in the giant planet region. Some centaurs display cometary activity, which cannot be sustained by the sublimation of water ice in this part of the solar system, and has been hypothesized to be due to the crystallization of amorphous water ice.

Aims. In this work, we investigate centaurs discovered by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) and search for cometary activity. Tentative detections would improve understanding of the origins of activity among these objects.

Methods. We search for comae and structures by fitting and subtracting both point spread functions and trailed point-spread functions from the OSSOS images of each centaur. When available, Col-OSSOS images were used to search also for comae.

Results. No cometary activity is detected in the OSSOS sample. We track the recent orbital evolution of each new centaur to confirm that none would actually be predicted to be active, and we provide size estimates for the objects.

Conclusions. The addition of 20 OSSOS objects to the population of ∼250 known centaurs is consistent with the currently understood scenario, in which drastic drops in perihelion distance induce changes in the thermal balance prone to trigger cometary activity in the giant planet region.

Original language	English
Article number	A102
Number of pages	7
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	621
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834021
Publication status	Published - 15 Jan 2019

Bibliographical note

7 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Keywords

Comets: General
Kuiper belt: General

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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OSSOS: XI. No active centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey
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Cabral, N., Guilbert-Lepoutre, A., Fraser, W. C., Marsset, M., Volk, K., Petit, J. M., Rousselot, P., Alexandersen, M., Bannister, M. T., Chen, Y. T., Gladman, B., Gwyn, S. D. J., & Kavelaars, J. J. (2019). OSSOS: XI. No active centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 621, [A102]. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834021

Cabral, Nahuel ; Guilbert-Lepoutre, Aurélie ; Fraser, Wesley C. ; Marsset, Michaël ; Volk, Kathryn ; Petit, Jean Marc ; Rousselot, Philippe ; Alexandersen, Mike ; Bannister, Michele T. ; Chen, Ying Tung ; Gladman, Brett ; Gwyn, Stephen D.J. ; Kavelaars, John J. / OSSOS: XI. No active centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey. In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. 2019 ; Vol. 621.

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abstract = "Context. Centaurs are icy objects in transition between the trans-Neptunian region and the inner solar system, orbiting the Sun in the giant planet region. Some centaurs display cometary activity, which cannot be sustained by the sublimation of water ice in this part of the solar system, and has been hypothesized to be due to the crystallization of amorphous water ice. Aims. In this work, we investigate centaurs discovered by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) and search for cometary activity. Tentative detections would improve understanding of the origins of activity among these objects. Methods. We search for comae and structures by fitting and subtracting both point spread functions and trailed point-spread functions from the OSSOS images of each centaur. When available, Col-OSSOS images were used to search also for comae. Results. No cometary activity is detected in the OSSOS sample. We track the recent orbital evolution of each new centaur to confirm that none would actually be predicted to be active, and we provide size estimates for the objects. Conclusions. The addition of 20 OSSOS objects to the population of ∼250 known centaurs is consistent with the currently understood scenario, in which drastic drops in perihelion distance induce changes in the thermal balance prone to trigger cometary activity in the giant planet region.",

keywords = "Comets: General, Kuiper belt: General",

author = "Nahuel Cabral and Aur{\'e}lie Guilbert-Lepoutre and Fraser, {Wesley C.} and Micha{\"e}l Marsset and Kathryn Volk and Petit, {Jean Marc} and Philippe Rousselot and Mike Alexandersen and Bannister, {Michele T.} and Chen, {Ying Tung} and Brett Gladman and Gwyn, {Stephen D.J.} and Kavelaars, {John J.}",

note = "7 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics",

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month = jan,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201834021",

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OSSOS: XI. No active centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey. / Cabral, Nahuel; Guilbert-Lepoutre, Aurélie; Fraser, Wesley C.; Marsset, Michaël; Volk, Kathryn; Petit, Jean Marc; Rousselot, Philippe; Alexandersen, Mike; Bannister, Michele T.; Chen, Ying Tung; Gladman, Brett; Gwyn, Stephen D.J.; Kavelaars, John J.

In: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 621, A102, 15.01.2019.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

TY - JOUR

T1 - OSSOS: XI. No active centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey

AU - Cabral, Nahuel

AU - Guilbert-Lepoutre, Aurélie

AU - Fraser, Wesley C.

AU - Marsset, Michaël

AU - Volk, Kathryn

AU - Petit, Jean Marc

AU - Rousselot, Philippe

AU - Alexandersen, Mike

AU - Bannister, Michele T.

AU - Chen, Ying Tung

AU - Gladman, Brett

AU - Gwyn, Stephen D.J.

AU - Kavelaars, John J.

N1 - 7 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

PY - 2019/1/15

Y1 - 2019/1/15

N2 - Context. Centaurs are icy objects in transition between the trans-Neptunian region and the inner solar system, orbiting the Sun in the giant planet region. Some centaurs display cometary activity, which cannot be sustained by the sublimation of water ice in this part of the solar system, and has been hypothesized to be due to the crystallization of amorphous water ice. Aims. In this work, we investigate centaurs discovered by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) and search for cometary activity. Tentative detections would improve understanding of the origins of activity among these objects. Methods. We search for comae and structures by fitting and subtracting both point spread functions and trailed point-spread functions from the OSSOS images of each centaur. When available, Col-OSSOS images were used to search also for comae. Results. No cometary activity is detected in the OSSOS sample. We track the recent orbital evolution of each new centaur to confirm that none would actually be predicted to be active, and we provide size estimates for the objects. Conclusions. The addition of 20 OSSOS objects to the population of ∼250 known centaurs is consistent with the currently understood scenario, in which drastic drops in perihelion distance induce changes in the thermal balance prone to trigger cometary activity in the giant planet region.

AB - Context. Centaurs are icy objects in transition between the trans-Neptunian region and the inner solar system, orbiting the Sun in the giant planet region. Some centaurs display cometary activity, which cannot be sustained by the sublimation of water ice in this part of the solar system, and has been hypothesized to be due to the crystallization of amorphous water ice. Aims. In this work, we investigate centaurs discovered by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) and search for cometary activity. Tentative detections would improve understanding of the origins of activity among these objects. Methods. We search for comae and structures by fitting and subtracting both point spread functions and trailed point-spread functions from the OSSOS images of each centaur. When available, Col-OSSOS images were used to search also for comae. Results. No cometary activity is detected in the OSSOS sample. We track the recent orbital evolution of each new centaur to confirm that none would actually be predicted to be active, and we provide size estimates for the objects. Conclusions. The addition of 20 OSSOS objects to the population of ∼250 known centaurs is consistent with the currently understood scenario, in which drastic drops in perihelion distance induce changes in the thermal balance prone to trigger cometary activity in the giant planet region.

KW - Comets: General

KW - Kuiper belt: General

UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.03648

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201834021

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201834021

M3 - Article

VL - 621

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

SN - 0004-6361

M1 - A102

ER -