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A low-inclination neutral Trans-Neptunian Object in a extreme orbit
- Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- We present photometric observations and numerical simulations of 2016 SD$_{106}$, a low inclination ($i=4.8^{\circ}$) extreme trans-Neptunian Object with a large semi-major axis ($a=350$ au) and perihelion ($q= 42.6$ au). This object possesses a peculiar neutral color of $g-r = 0.45\pm0.05$ and $g-i=0.72\pm0.06$, in comparison with other distant trans-Neptunian objects, all of which have moderate-red to ultra-red colors. A numerical integration based on orbital fitting on astrometric data covering eight years of arc confirms that 2016 SD$_{106}$ is a metastable object without significant scattering evolution. Each of the clones survived at the end of the 1 Gyr simulation. However, very few neutral objects with inclinations $<5^{\circ}$ have been found in the outer solar system, even in the main Kuiper belt. Furthermore, most mechanisms which lift perihelion distances are expected to produce a very low number of extreme objects with inclinations $<5^{\circ}$. We thus explored the possibility that a hypothetical distant planet could increase the production of such objects. Our simulations show that no 2016 SD$_{106}$-like orbits can be produced from three Kuiper belt populations tested (i.e. plutinos, twotinos, and Haumea Family) without the presence of an hypothetical planet, while a few similar orbits can be obtained with it; however, the presence of the additional planet produces a wide range of large semimajor-axis / large perihelion objects, in apparent contradiction with the observed scarcity of objects in those regions of phase space. Future studies may determine if there is a connection between the existence of a perihelion gap and a particular orbital configuration of an hypothetical distant planet.<br />Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 tables, accepted for publication in the ApJ Letters
- Subjects :
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.2209.13089
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac90b9